The Resurrection c. 1530

Simon Bening made this miniature painting of The Resurrection using tempera, gold paint, and ink on parchment. Dating from the 16th century, the artwork is a product of the vibrant artistic culture of Bruges, now in Belgium, where Bening was a leading illuminator of manuscripts. The image creates meaning through the use of Christian visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. We can see the risen Christ, wounds visible, holding a staff with a flag, while Roman soldiers recoil in terror. The architecture in the background is typical of the Northern Renaissance. Manuscript illumination was an important means of artistic expression and religious devotion in the period. The creation of such works was often supported by wealthy patrons and religious institutions. As historians, we can look at the socio-political, economic, and cultural forces in which manuscript illumination was made by consulting archives and libraries that hold medieval manuscripts and documents. We can further understand art as something contingent on social and institutional context.