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Villagers on Their Way to Church
Simon Bening (Flemish, about 1483 - 1561)
Bruges, Belgium (Place created)
Tempera colors and gold paint on parchment
Leaf: 5.6 x 9.6 cm (2 3/16 x 3 3/4 in.)
As the local parish church prepares for services, villagers and rural peasants make their way down the path. In the distance, fields, gently rolling hills, buildings, and groves of trees give shape to the landscape. The candlelit procession inside the church, as well as the candles held by the approaching villagers, suggest the celebration of Candlemas, a church holiday observed the second of February.
An earlier owner probably cut the
Flemish Illumination of the Late Middle Ages (November 3, 1998 to January 17, 1999)
- The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center (Los Angeles), November 3, 1998 to January 17, 1999
Illuminating the Renaissance: The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe (June 17, 2003 to February 22, 2004)
- The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center (Los Angeles), June 17 to September 7, 2003
- Royal Academy of Arts (London), November 29, 2003 to February 22, 2004
Building the Medieval World: Architecture in Illuminated Manuscripts (March 2 to May 16, 2010)
- The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center (Los Angeles), March 2 to May 16, 2010
Illuminated Manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands (August 24, 2010 to February 6, 2011)
- The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center (Los Angeles), August 24, 2010 to February 6, 2011
Lesson in which students analyze a 16th century manuscript, write a descriptive paragraph about a family tradition, and create a watercolor artwork.
Visual Arts; English–Language Arts