Elisabeth Scepens

Elisabeth Scepens (also Elizabeth Scepens; fl. 1476) was a Flemish bookmaker and artist.

Elisabeth Scepens lived in Bruges, Flanders, in the late 15th century.[1] Alongside Adrien Raet,[2] she is one of two pupils known to have studied under the illuminator Willem Vrelant.[3] Vrelant taught manuscript illustration and book production in Bruges, and archives of the studio list Scepens as one of his students in 1476.[4] Following his death in 1481, his widow inherited his workshop. Together with Scepens, Madame Vrelant ran the prolific studio, which produced portrait miniatures, calligraphy and capital letter decoration for manuscripts.[1]

In 1476, Scepens gained membership in the St. John the Evangelist Guild for scribes, illuminators and bookbinders. Her membership was renewed annually until 1489.[1] While it is possible that works attributed to Vrelant or his followers were actually by Scepens, no works of hers are known.[5] Scepens was part of the Northern Renaissance, and along with Margaret van Eyck, is one of the few known 15th-century Flemish women artists.[4]

  1. ^ a b c York, Laura (2002). "Scepens, Elizabeth (fl. 1476)". In Commire, Anne (ed.). Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Waterford, Connecticut: Yorkin Publications. ISBN 0-7876-4074-3.
  2. ^ Loomis, Roger Sherman (1938). Arthurian Legends in Medieval Art. London: Oxford University Press. p. 126.
  3. ^ Grendler, Paul F. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. 1: Abrabanel - civility. New York: Scribner. p. 142. ISBN 0-684-80508-1.
  4. ^ a b Chadwick, Whitney (1990). Women, Art, and Society (PDF). London: Thames & Hudson. p. 114.
  5. ^ Saslow, James M.; Bohn, Babette (2012). A Companion to Renaissance and Baroque Art. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-39151-8.