Benson was born in Lombardy and worked in Bruges from 1518 until his death in 1550. Documents have revealed that he was a successful painter, working for many clients in Bruges and Spain. Despite all the available information, the study of Benson’s work is still incomplete. As he only signed a few of his works and often involved his students in his paintings, it is difficult to get a real view of his style. This also makes it equally hard to tell which works should be attributed to Benson and his studio.
The Holy Family with John the Baptist is very important from the viewpoint of authorship, because it is both signed and dated. Therefore, the painting is – along with the only other signed work, the Triptych with SaintAnthony of Padua from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (Brussels), crucial in the study to understand the artist’s style. It is an invaluable key in the continuous study of Benson’s work.
Thanks to the Groeningemuseum’s sixth acquisition, Bruges now has the largest Benson collection in the world.
