Ambrosius Benson | Pittore manierista

Ambrogio Benzone (1495-1550), od Ambrosius Benson in fiammingo, è stato un pittore Italiano, di origine lombarda, attivo a Bruges.

Si ignorano la data precisa e il luogo della nascita, che si ipotizza sia avvenuta nei dintorni di Milano, per via del nome Ambrogio. Dovette trasferirsi piuttosto giovane a Bruges nelle Fiandre, proveniente dalla Lombardia.

Inizialmente fu allievo del pittore Gerard David, dal quale venne profondamente influenzato, ma i rapporti con il suo maestro dovettero successivamente guastarsi ed è documentata una causa intentata dal Benzone contro di lui.

Nel 1518 aveva preso la cittadinanza di Bruges, modificando il suo nome con quello di Ambrosius Benson, con il quale firmò tutte le sue opere e nel 1519 venne ammesso nella gilda cittadina degli artisti e pittori. Fu membro per tre volte del consiglio della città.

Ebbe fortuna come pittore: ebbe per due volte la commissione dai magistrati cittadini per la decorazione della nuova sala civica e arrivò a possedere diverse case, per una delle quali diede in parziale pagamento otto suoi dipinti.

Dalla prima moglie, Anna Ghyselin, ebbe due figli, Willem (1521 o 1522 - 1574) e Jean (nato prima del 1530 e morto prima del 1581), entrambi pittori. Ebbe inoltre una figlia, Anna, dal secondo matrimonio con Josyne Michiels, e due figlie illegittime.

Morì prima del 12 gennaio del 1550.

Benson became popular as a source for pastiche with 19th-century painters, who are sometimes known as the "followers of Benson".

In particular his many variations of the Magdalen and Sibilla Persica were further copied and became popular with contemporary buyers.

Many have retained their relative value and held in the National Gallery, London and command high prices at Sotheby's.

Typical of the itinerant manner of many painters of the time, he moved to Bruges c. 1515 and served his apprenticeship with the Early Netherlandish painter Gerard David.

He later became a naturalized citizen of Bruges.

Benson worked as a journeyman before he was made master in 1519 and became a member of the guild of painters and saddlemakers.

He eventually became a dean and then and governor of the guild.

He married Anna Ghyselin, and had two sons with her, Jan and Willem, both of whom became painters. He later remarried and had a daughter Anna.

He is believed to have had at least two other daughters from extra-marital affairs.

Benson came into dispute with Gerard around 1519, over a number of paintings and drawings Benson had created -including a book of studies for heads and nudes as well as various patterns- in the older master's workshop without his assistance.

David refused to return the material, and after Benson pursued him legally, served time in prison for his appropriation.

He served as head of the Guild of Saint Luke from 1537-1539 and 1543-1544.

Much of his work was at one time attributed to a Spanish artist known only as the Master of Segovia; it is now believed they were the same person.

Perhaps under the influence of Rogier van der Weyden's 15th-century The Magdalen Reading, Benson was one of the first artists to popularise images of women reading.

It became a motif for him, and he painted the scene many times in his images of Mary Magdalene and the Sybil Persica, whom he treated as almost interchangeable.