Simon Bening, double-sided leaf illustrating typical occupations for April and May

Simon Bening, 1483-1561
Double-sided Leaf Illustrating Typical Occupations for April and May
About 1540
Watercolour on vellum
Museum no. E.4575-1910
Salting Bequest

This is one of four surviving leaves; each painted on both sides, probably from a series of the Twelve Months. This side depicts May, with a boat carrying nobles making music and cooling their drink in the water.

Simon Bening, double-sided leaf illustrating typical occupations for September or October

Simon Bening, 1483-1561
Double-sided Leaf Illustrating Typical Occupations for September or October
About 1540
Watercolour on vellum
Museum no. E.4576-1910
Salting Bequest

This is one of four surviving leaves; each painted on both sides, probably from a series of the Twelve Months. This side depicts September or October, with peasants ploughing and sowing.

Simon Bening, 'Virgin and Child'

Simon Bening (1483-1561)
'Virgin and Child'
Watercolour on vellum lay down onto a wooden panel
A surface layer of animal glue was added later and has now discoloured. Probably originally framed with two shutters protecting the picture
About 1550
Museum no. E.635-1998

Style of Simon Bening, A Book of Hours

Style of Simon Bening (1483-1561)
A Book of Hours
About 1510-20
Watercolour on vellum, bound into this leather cover in the 17th century
Museum no. MSL 39-1981

A book of hours is a type of prayer book. This page shows King David praying for forgiveness for his adultery with Bathsheba, alongside the text of Psalm 6.

Simon Bening, self-portrait

Simon Bening (1483-1561)
Self-portrait
Dated 1558
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to an oak panel
Inscribed below the portrait in Latin 'Simon Bening. Son of Alexander/Painted by himself in his 75 year/1558'
Museum no. P.159-1910
Salting Bequest

Simon Bening was a Netherlandish miniature painter. He trained in his father 's workshop in Ghent and later worked in Bruges. On his easel is a picture of the Virgin and Child.

Giovanni Candida of Naples, Medal depicting Maximilian I and his wife

Giovanni Candida of Naples (born before 1450, died after 1504)
Medal depicting Maximilian I and his wife, Mary of Burgundy
About 1477-82
Cast in bronze
Inscribed in Latin 'Maximilian, son of the Emperor Frederick, Duke of Austria and Burgundy', and on the other side 'Maria, daughter of Charles, Duchess of Burgundy, Austria, and Brabant, Countess of Flanders'
Museum no. 6013-1857
Salting Bequest.

This medal celebrates the union of Maximilian (1459-1519), heir to the Holy Roman Empire, and Mary of Burgundy (1457-82), the greatest heiress of the day.

Nicholas Hilliard, Portrait of Alice Hilliard

Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619)
Portrait of Alice Hilliard, born Brandon
Dated 1578
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to card
Inscribed in Latin: either side of her head, 'Year of Our Lord 1578 / At the age of 22', and twice with Hilliard's monogram, 'NH'; around the edge, probably by the Hilliards' son, 'Alice Brandon. Nicholas Hilliard. Painted by his own hand, his first wife'
Museum no. P.2-194
Given by the National Art Collections Fund

Alice was the daughter of Robert Brandon, Elizabeth I's goldsmith. Nicholas Hilliard was Brandon's apprentice from 1562 to 1569, and the couple married in 1576.

Lucas Horenbout, Portrait of Charles V

Lucas Horenbout (1490/5-1544)
Portrait of Charles V
About 1525-30
Watercolour on vellum, remounted onto modern card
Museum no. P.22-1942
Passed with the collection of Sir Hans Sloan to the British Museum in 1754.Transferred to the V&A in 1934

The emperor Charles V (1500-58) was a nephew of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII 's first wife. This is a copy in miniature of an oil by the Netherlandish artist Bernard van Orley, still in the Royal Collection today.

Nicholas Hilliard, self-portrait Aged 30

Nicholas Hilliar (1547-1619)
Self-portrait, aged 30
1577
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to a later piece of card
Inscribed either side of his head in Latin, 'Year of Our Lord 1577 / At the age of 30 / NH'
Museum no. P.155-1910
Salting Bequest

In England painters such as Hilliard were treated as mere tradespeople. But this confident self-portrait was painted during his two years in France where painters had a higher social status.

Hans Holbein, portrait of Jane Small

Hans Holbein (1497-1543)
Portrait of Jane Small, born Pemberton
About 1540
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to a playing card
Inscribed on either side of her head in Latin, 'In the 23rd year of her age'
Museum no. P.40-1935
Purchased with funds from the Captain H.B. Murray Bequest, Viscount Bearsted and the National Art Collections Fund

Jane and her husband Nicholas Small, a wealthy merchant, lived in the neighbouring parish to Hans Holbein in London.

Levina Teerlinc, portrait of Lady Katherine Grey

Levina Teerlinc (1510/20-76)
Portrait of Lady Katherine Grey
About 1555-60
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to pasteboard; in its original turned ivory box
Inscribed on the reverse, 'The La Kathe'/ Graye. / Wyfe of Therle of / hertford'
Museum no. P.10-1979

Lady Katherine Grey and her sisters Jane and Mary were the granddaughters of Henry VIII's sister. In 1560 Elizabeth I imprisoned Katherine in the Tower of London for secretly marrying without her permission.

Nicholas Hilliard, portrait of Richard Hilliard

Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619)
Portrait of Richard Hilliard
Dated 1577?
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to a later piece of card
Inscribed either side of his head in Latin, 'At the age of 58 / Year of Our Lord 157[7?]'
Museum no. P.154-1910
Salting Bequest

Richard Hilliard (1518/19-94) was a goldsmith in Exeter and the father of Nicholas Hilliard.

Nicholas Hilliard, portrait of an unknown woman aged 31

Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619)
Portrait of an unknown woman aged 31
1576
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to pasteboard
Museum no. P.27-1977

Inscribed either side of her head in Latin, 'Year of Our Lord 1576 / At the age of 31'

Nicholas Hilliard, portrait of an unknown woman

Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619)
Portrait of an unknown woman
About 1585-90
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to a playing card
Museum no. P.2-1974
Purchased from the Earl of Radnor with the aid of a special Treasury Grant

Nicholas Hilliard, portrait of an unknown man

Nicholas Hilliard (1547–1619)
Portrait of an unknown man
About 1588
Watercolour on vellum, stuck to pasteboard
Museum no. P.15-1977
Bequeathed by John Bryson