BENING, Simon
(b. 1483, Ghent, d. 1561, Bruges)

Beatty Rosary

c. 1530
Manuscript (W. 99), 124 x 84 mm
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

This double page shows the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan on the left, faced by the paternoster on the right. Beyond the River Jordan, the viewer's eye wanders across a deep landscape till it meets the jagged skyline of Jerusalem. The composition, of which more than one-third consists of a landscape, seems to be inspired both generally and in its details by Netherlandish panel painting of the early 16th century, such as the work of Gerard David and Joachim Patenier. The illuminator used these models as a basis for creating completely autonomous masterpieces of his own.