Complete Works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder

PieterBruegeltheElder(c.1525-1569)

Contents

TheHighlightsTHEFIGHTBETWEENCARNIVALANDLENTNETHERLANDISHPROVERBSLANDSCAPEWITHTHEFALLOFICARUSDULLGRETTHETRIUMPHOFDEATHTHESUICIDEOFSAULTHETOWEROFBABELTHEADORATIONOFTHEKINGSTHEPROCESSIONTOCALVARYTHEHUNTERSINTHESNOWTHECENSUSATBETHLEHEMTHECONVERSIONOFPAULTHEPEASANTWEDDINGTHEPEASANTDANCETHEBEGGARSTHEBLINDLEADINGTHEBLINDTHEMISANTHROPE

ThePaintingsTHECOMPLETEPAINTINGSALPHABETICALLISTOFPAINTINGS

TheDrawingsLISTOFDRAWINGSTheBiographyBRIEFBIOGRAPHY

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MastersofArtSeries

PieterBruegeltheElder

ByDelphiClassics,2016

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TheHighlights

Breda,acityinthesouthernpartoftheNetherlands—BruegelwasborninBredaoravillageneartoBredainc.1525

Bredain1653byWillemenJoanBlaeu

THEHIGHLIGHTS

Inthissection,asampleofBruegel’smostcelebratedworksisprovided,withconciseintroductions,special‘detail’reproductionsandadditionalbiographicalimages.

THEFIGHTBETWEENCARNIVALANDLENT

LittleisknownaboutPieterBruegeltheElder’slifeandweareevennotcertainwherehewasborn.FromthefactthatheenteredtheAntwerppainters’guildin1551,itisassumedthathewasbornbetween1525and1530.AccordingtovanMander, his master was the Antwerp painter Pieter Coecke van Aelst, whosedaughterMariaBruegelmarriedin1563.Bruegelwasassignedtopainttherearof twowings of a triptych inMechelen in the early 1550’s,while themiddlepanelwaspaintedbyPieterBalten.ItislikelyBruegelreceivedthiscommissiondue to the connections of Mayken Verhulst, the widow of Pieter Coecke.Between1552and1553,BruegeltravelledtoItaly,wherehevisitedRomeandmettheminiaturistGiulioClovio,whosewillof1578liststhreeofhispaintings.These works, apparently landscapes, have not survived. About 1555 BruegelreturnedtoAntwerpbywayoftheAlps,whichresultedinanumberofexquisitedrawings of mountain landscapes. These sketches, which form the basis formany of his later paintings, are not records of actual places but “composites”madeinordertoinvestigatetheorganiclifeofformsinnature.

Housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, The Fight betweenCarnivalandLentwascompletedin1559anddepictsacommonfestivaloftheperiod, as celebrated in the Southern Netherlands. The canvas presents thecontrast between two sides of contemporary life, as can be seen by theappearanceoftheinnontheleftside,symbolisingenjoyment,andthechurchontherightsiderepresentingreligiousobservance.Thehecticsceneportrayswell-behavedchildrennearthechurchandabeerdrinkingsceneneartheinn.Atthecentre is a well, illustrating the coming together of different parts of thecommunity.BruegelhaschosentodepicttheconflictbetweenCarnivalandLentasajoustingmatchbetweentwocomicaladversaries.

This carnival was an important event in community life in early modernEurope, representing the transition between two different seasonal cuisines:livestock thatwas not to bewinteredwas slaughtered, andmeatwas in goodsupply.AstheperiodofLentcommenced,withitsenforcedabstinenceandtheassociated spiritual purification in preparation for Easter, the butcher shopsclosedandthebutchers travelledintothecountrysidetopurchasecattlefor thespring.Bruegel’s painting is rich in allegories and symbolisms that have beenlong studied. It is often read as the triumphofLent, as the figure ofCarnival

seemstobidfarewellwithhislefthandandhiseyesareliftedtothesky.Amoregeneralised meaning may be the illustration of Bruegel’s belief that humanactivitiesaremotivatedbyfollyandself-seeking.

Carnivalisrepresentedasanobesemanridingabeerbarrelwithaporkchopattachedtoitsfrontend.Hewearsahugemeatpieasahead-dressandwieldsalongspit,completewithapig’shead,asaweaponfor the fight.Thepouchofknives at his belt indicates that he is a butcher. Theman behind the barrel isdressed in yellow, which is connected with deceit, and he is followed by afemalefigurecarryingonherheadatablewithbreadandwafflesonit.

Lent’shalfofthepictureisdominatedbyabstinenceandpiety,withfiguresdrawingwaterfromthewell,givingalmstothepoorandthesick,andgoingtochurch.Thechurchitself is thedominantbuildingfromwhichqueuesofblackfigures emerge from their prayers. Lady Lent is presented in the foreground,dressed like a nun, seated on a cart drawnby amonk and a nun; she appearsgaunt and thin,with her followers feeding on bread and biscuits. LadyLent’swagon contains traditional Lenten foods, pretzels,waffles andmussels. Insidethe entrance to the church a veiled statue is visible, as it was customary inRoman Catholic churches to cover up all works of art at Lent until EasterSundaywhen thecarvedandpainted figuresof saintswouldbeunveiledoncemore.

Detail

Bruegel’ssupposedmaster:CoeckevanAelst,engravingbyJohannesWierix

NETHERLANDISHPROVERBS

ProverbswerepopularintheLowlandsduringBruegel’stimeandanumberofcollectionswerepublished,includingAdagia,bytheDutchhumanistDesideriusErasmus. The Flemish artist Frans Hogenberg had made an engravingillustrating43proverbs in c. 1558, around the same timeasBruegel’s famouspainting on the theme,NetherlandishProverbs.Bruegel himself had producedseveralminorpaintingsonthesamesubject, includingBigFishEatLittleFish(1556) andTwelveProverbs (1558), butNetherlandishProverbs is thought tohavebeenhisfirstlarge-scaleworkonthetheme.

The composition provides an ordered, integrated scene,with approximately112identifiableproverbsandidioms,thoughBruegelmayhaveincludedothersthatcannotbeidentified.Someoftheillustratedproverbsarestillinpopularusetoday– including“Swimmingagainst the tide”,“Bangingone’sheadagainstabrickwall”and“Armedtotheteeth”,andthereareothersthatarefamiliarifnotidenticaltothemodernEnglishusage,suchas“castingrosesbeforeswine”.TheBlueCloakwasthepainting’soriginaltitle,duetothecloakfeaturedin

thecentreof thecanvas,beingplacedover theheadofahusbandbyhiswife,suggesting that she is cuckolding him. Other proverbs indicate humanfoolishness.Amanfillsinapondafterhiscalfhasdied.Justabovethecentralfigureoftheblue-cloakedman,anothermancarriesdaylightinabasket.Someofthefiguresseemtorepresentmorethanonefigureofspeech,suchasthemanshearingasheepinthecentrebottomleftof thepicture.Heissittingnext toaman shearing a pig, representing the expression “One shears sheep and oneshearspigs”,meaning thatonehas theadvantageover theother;however, thismayalsorepresenttheadvice:“Shearthembutdon’tskinthem”(makethemostofavailableassets).

Detail

Titlepageofthe1508editionof’‘Adagia’

LANDSCAPEWITHTHEFALLOFICARUS

Thefollowingpainting,heldintheRoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgiuminBrussels,was long thought tobebyBruegel, though technicalexaminations in1996 suggested this attribution might be doubtful and that the painting,completed in the1560’s, isnowbelievedtobeanearlycopyofBruegel’s lostoriginalbyanunknownartist.InspiredbytheRomanpoetOvid’saccount, thepaintingconcernsthemythofIcarus,whowasabletoflywithwingsmadebyhis fatherDaedalus,usingfeatherssecuredwithbeeswax. Ignoringhis father’swarnings, Icaruschose to fly tooclose to thesun,melting thewaxand fallingintothesea,wherehedrowned.Hislegscanbeseeninthewaterjustbelowtheship.Theploughman, shepherdandanglerwecan see in thepaintingare alsomentionedinOvid’saccount.TheywerelikelyincludedbyBruegelinrelationto a Flemish proverb: “And the farmer continued to plough...” suggesting theignoranceofpeopletofellowmen’ssuffering.

Though the world landscape — a type of work with the title subjectrepresentedbysmallfiguresinthedistance—wasanestablishedtypeinEarlyNetherlandish painting, pioneered by Joachim Patiner, to introduce a muchlarger unrelated “genre” figure in the foreground was a innovative technique.The high viewpoint, giving us a glimpse of a town in the far distance,wouldbecomearecurringfeatureofBruegel’searlypaintings.

Detail

Detail:withanupturnedfaceinthebushes

Detail:Icarusinthewaterandtheangler

DULLGRET

Alsoknownas ‘MadMeg’, this 1562oil-on-panel depicts the folklorevirago,who leads an army of women to pillage Hell.Griet was a disparaging namegiventoanybad-tempered,shrewishwoman.HermissionreferstotheFlemishproverb: “She could plunder in front of hell and return unscathed.” As herfemalefollowerslootahouse,GretadvancestowardsthemouthofHellthroughalandscapepopulatedbymonsters,inspiredbytheworksofHieronymusBosch.Gretwearsmalearmour,includingabreastplate,amailedgloveandametalcap.Aknifehangsfromherside,whileinherrighthandshecarriesasword,whichmayrefertothesaying:“HecouldgotoHellwithaswordinhishand.”AbookofproverbspublishedinAntwerpin1568containsasayingcloseinspirittothepainting:“Onewomanmakesadin,twowomenalotoftrouble,threeanannualmarket, four a quarrel, five an army, and against six theDevil himself has noweapon.”

Bruegel’searliestbiographer,KarelvanMander,writing in1604,describedthe painting as “DulleGriet,who is looking at themouth ofHell”.ThepanelenteredthecollectionofRudolfII,HolyRomanEmperor,beforeitwaslootedby Swedish troops in 1648 and then reappeared in Stockholm in 1800. ArtcollectorFritzMayervandenBerghdiscoveredthepanelin1897atanauctioninCologne,whereheboughtitforaminimalsum,discoveringitsactualauthorafewdayslater.

Detail

PortraitofHieronymusBosch,c.1550

THETRIUMPHOFDEATH

TheTriumphofDeath portrays a panoramaof an armyof skeletonswreakinghavoc across a blackened, desolate landscape. Bruegel combines two distinctvisualtraditionswithinthepanel.WecandetectthenativetraditionofNorthernwoodcuts of the Dance of Death, as well as the Italian conception of TheTriumph of Death, as in frescoes the artist would have seen in the PalazzoSclafaniinPalermoandintheCamposantoMonumentaleatPisa.OnceagainwecanidentifytheinfluenceofBoschintheimagery,asfiresburninthedistanceandlegionsofskeletonsadvanceontheliving,whoeitherfleeinterrorortryinvaintofightback.

In the foreground, skeletonshaulawagon fullof skulls,while in theupperleftcornermoreskeletonssoundabell,announcingthedeathknelloftheworld.Victims are herded into a coffin shaped trap decorated with crosses, while askeleton on horseback kills other sinners with a scythe. The painting depictsrepresentativesofdifferent socialbackgrounds– frompeasantsand soldiers tonobles,aswellasakingandacardinal–beingtakenbydeathindiscriminately.TheTriumphofDeathexploresaspectsofeverydaylifeinthemid-sixteenth

century. Contemporary clothes are clearly depicted, as are pastimes such asplayingcardsandbackgammon.Objects suchasmusical instruments, anearlymechanical clock, scenes including a funeral service, and various methods ofexecution,includingthebreakingwheel,thegallowsandtheheadsmanalsogivetheflavourofpresent-daylife.

Detail

THESUICIDEOFSAUL

TheSuicideof Saul is an early attempt byBruegel to reconcile landscape andfigurepainting.Thepanelconcernsararescenefrom1Samuel31,tellinghowSaul committed suicide following his defeat to the Philistines. Completed in1562,thepaneliscurrentlyheldattheKunsthistorischesMuseuminVienna.

The biblical account narrates how, “Saul said to his armour bearer, ‘Drawyoursword,and thrustme throughwith it, lest theseuncircumcisedmencomeandthrustmethroughandabuseme.’Buthisarmourbearerwouldnot, forhewas greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. Andwhen hisarmourbearersawthatSaulwasdead,healsofellonhissword,anddiedwithhim.” Bruegel has chosen the dramatic moment of the death of the armourbearer, justas thePhilistinesareapproaching in thedistance.Saul’sdeathwasinterpreted as a punishment of pride, with Dante portraying him among theproud in the Purgatorio, which may account for Bruegel’s choice of anotherwise uncommon subject. As with most of his biblical subjects, BruegeltreatsSaul’ssuicideasacontemporaryevent,illustratingthearmiesinsixteenthcenturyarmour.

Detail

TheKunsthistorischesMuseuminVienna,wheremanyofBruegel’sextantpaintingsarehoused

THETOWEROFBABEL

Bruegel completed three oil paintings on the biblical subject of the Tower ofBabel. The first, aminiature painted on ivory,was completedwhile the artistwas in Rome and is now lost. The two surviving paintings portray theconstructionofthetower,whichaccordingtotheBookofGenesis,wasbuiltbyaunified,monolingualhumanityasamarkoftheirachievementandtopreventthemfromscattering:“Thentheysaid,‘Come,letusbuildourselvesacity,andatower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves;otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’”(Genesis11:4).ThepersonintheforegroundismostlikelyKingNimrod,whowas said to have ordered the construction of the Tower — a story ofteninterpretedasanexampleofpridepunished.

Bruegel’sdepictionofthearchitectureofthetower,withitsnumerousarchesand other examples of Roman engineering, is reminiscent of the Coliseum,whichBruegel had seen in1552duringhis Italian sojourn.When returning toAntwerp,hemayhaverefreshedhismemorywithaseriesofengravingsoftheprincipal landmarks of the city made by the publisher of his own prints,HieronymousCock.DetailsofRooster’sRomanengravingsareevidentinbothsurvivingversionsofTheTowerofBabel,withfewsignificantalterations.Theparallel of Rome and Babylon had a particular significance for Bruegel’scontemporaries:RomewasknownastheEternalCity, intendedbytheCaesarstolastforever,anditsdecayandruinwouldsymbolisethevanityandtransienceofearthlyefforts.Babel’sTowerwasalsosymbolicoftheturmoilbetweentheCatholic Church (which at the time conducted all services in Latin) and thepolyglotLutheranProtestantreligionoftheNetherlands.Althoughatfirstglancethetowerappearstobeastableseriesofconcentricpillars,whenwelookcloserwenotehownoneofthelayerslieatatruehorizontal.Insteadthetowerisbuiltas an ascending spiral, which is crumbling in places, hinting at the religiousturmoilprevalentintheNetherlandsatthattime.

Detail

The“Little”TowerofBabel,c.1563,MuseumBoijmansVanBeuningen,Rotterdam

THEADORATIONOFTHEKINGS

Painted in 1564, The Adoration of the Kings is currently exhibited at theNational Gallery, London. The painting marks an important departure inBruegel’s oeuvre, as it is his first to be composed almost exclusively of largefigures. The nativity scene is inspired by Italian mannerist painters likeParmigianino,allowingtheartisttoconcentrateonindividualfaces,givingeachadistinct,individualexpression.Thisemphasisontheuniquenessofeachfigurediffers greatly from the portrayal of ideal beauty found in the Italianmanner;instead Bruegel presents the figures as unattractive and more mundane inappearance. He is far more interested in recording the range of individualreactionsinthescene,thanintryingtocaptureanimageofidealbeauty.

Thesceneiscomposedfromahighviewpoint,focusingourattentionontheChristChild,perchedonhismother’s lap,at thecentreof thepicture.Variousfigurescrowdaroundthemandthereislittlethoughtforestablishingasenseofdepth.TheelongatedfiguresoftheThreeKingsarecharacteristicofapaintingstyle thatwas fashionable in the sixteenth century. The figure on the extremerightwears spectacles,perhaps indicating that thosearoundChrist areblind tohis significance. In other paintingsBruegel uses spectacles to signal ironicallythesubject’sinabilitytoseethetruth.Itisuncommonforsoldierstobeincludedin a depiction of the Adoration — their presence may reflect the SpanishoccupationoftheNetherlandsatthistime.

Detail

SelfportraitinaConvexMirror(c.1524)ofParmigianino(1503-1540),anItalianManneristpainterandprintmakeractiveinFlorence,Rome,Bologna,andhisnativecityofParma.

THEPROCESSIONTOCALVARY

TheProcessiontoCalvaryisBruegel’ssecond-largestknownpaintinganditisoneofsixteenartworkslistedintheinventoryofthewealthyAntwerpcollector,Niclaes Jonghelinck,drawnup in1566. Itwas Jonghelinck that commissionedBruegel’s famous Months series. In 1604 The Procession to Calvary wasrecorded in thePrague collections ofRudolf II,HolyRomanEmperor, beforebeingtransferredtoVienna,andin1809(until1815)inParis,requisitionedbyNapoleonBonaparteaspartofhiswarbooty.

Bruegel’s treatment of the biblical story is unusually traditional. Christ’sinsignificant placement among the teeming crowds is a familiar device ofManneristpainting,asistheartificialinsertionofMaryandhercompanionsinarockyforeground.Theartist’slandscapesevolvedthroughouthiscareerfromthebird’s-eye views and extensive designs of his early works to the remarkablenaturalismof theMonths. Incredibly rockyoutcropscharacterise the landscapetradition of the Antwerp school founded by Joachim Patinir, whose followershad turned his style into a popular, though stale formula.Bruegel’s landscapepaintingsdemonstrateagradualdeparturefromthisstyle.InTheProcessiontoCalvary,however,hisdesiretoconveytherocky,unfamiliarterrainoftheHolyLand causes him to fall back on the ready-made landscape features of theAntwerpschool.

WiththeexceptionofChrist,thefiguresintheprocessionwearcontemporarydress,stressingthepresent-dayrelevancethatBruegelwishedtogivethescene.Thesacredfigures,includingthefaintingVirginassistedbySaintJohnandtheothertwoMarys,areseparatedfromthemaineventsbybeingplacedonasmall,rocky plateau. They act out their own, apparently independent, drama, largelyunnoticedbythefiguresbehindthem.

Detail

THEHUNTERSINTHESNOW

The Hunters in the Snow is believed to form the first part of a series of sixpaintings now known as theMonths, of which five survive. Belonging to themedieval and early Renaissance tradition of the Labours of the Months, thepaintings depict various rural activities andwork understood by a spectator inBruegel’s time as representing the different months or times of the year.Commissioned by the wealthy merchant Jonghelinck, the series of paintingswereoriginallyintendedaspartofalarge-scaledecorativeschemeinhislavishhouseinAntwerp.ThepaintingswerecompletedbyFebruary1566andwouldhavebeenhunguphighonthewallabovethepanelling,producingacontinuousfriezearoundtheroom.TheHuntersintheSnowpresentsawhite-filledsceneinwhichthreehunters

arereturningfromanexpedition,accompaniedbytheirdogs.Itappearsthehuntwasunsuccessful,asthehunterstrudgewearilyandthedogsfollowdejectedly.Onefollowercarriesthesmallcorpseofafox,hintingatthefutilityofthehunt.Infrontofthemeninthesnowarethefootprintsofarabbitorhare,whichhaseludedthehunters.Theoverallvisualimpressionisoneofacalm,cold,overcastday; thecoloursaremutedwhitesandgreys,while the treesarebareof leavesandwoodsmokehangsheavyintheair.

Thelandscapeitselfisaflat-bottomedvalley,asarivermeandersthroughit,with jagged peaks visible on the far side. The alpine scene was most likelyinspiredbyBruegel’s own journey across theAlpswhen returning from Italy.Tall, dark trees seem to march down from the top of the hill, guiding ourviewpointoutandacrossthevalley,creatinganextraordinarysenseofdepthinthepainting.Awatermillisseenwithitswheelfrozenstiff.Inthevalley,figuresiceskate,playinghockeywithsticksonafrozenlake,renderedassilhouettes.

Theonlywarmthintheimagecomesfromablazingfireatthetopofthehillbeside a tavern, as several figures eagerly surround it. The tavern seems torepresentoneofthefewpleasuresofwinter,asthemenquicklyworktoprovidemorewoodfortheflames.Nevertheless,thehazardousinnsign,whichappearstobefallingoff,hintsattheprecariousnatureofhumanexistence.

Detail

‘GloomyDay’(February)–thefollowingpaintingintheseries,1565,KunsthistorischesMuseum,Vienna

THECENSUSATBETHLEHEM

Drawinghisinspirationfromthesnow-coveredlandscapesfoundintheBooksofHours, Bruegel is one of the first artists to paint snow scenes, a theme hereturned to another four times. Currently held at the RoyalMuseums of FineArtsofBelgiuminBrussels,TheCensusatBethlehemisanotherbiblicalsceneportrayed as a contemporary event, with the severity of the SpanishadministrationinthesouthernNetherlandsbeingalikelysourceofcriticism.TheeventsdepictedaredescribedinLuke2,1-5:“Anditcametopassinthosedaysthat a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should beregistered...Soallwent toberegistered,everyonetohisowncity.Josephalsowent up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city ofDavid,which iscalledBethlehem,becausehewasof thehouseand lineageofDavid,toberegisteredwithMary,hisbetrothedwife,whowaswithchild.”ThesubjectisinfactrareinNetherlandishartpriortoBruegel’sinterpretationofthescene.

Seenfromabove,asnow-coveredvillagestretchesfromaruinedcastle toafrozen pond by a church. Villagers are going about their everyday tasks,sweepingthesnow,buildingacabin,crossingthepondonfootnexttoaferry-boatcaughtintheiceandgatheringaroundafire.Childrenareplaying,throwingsnowballs, skating, spinning their topsand sledging. In the right foreground, amanwithalargecarpenter’ssawisleadinganoxandanass,thelatterbearingawomanwrappedtightlyinabluemantle.Withoutattractingattention,theypicktheirwaybetweenthecartsofbeerbarrelsandbales.ThesetwoinconsequentialfiguresareJosephandMary,whohavecometoBethlehemtobeenrolledintheuniversalcensusorderedbyAugustus.TheGospelepisodeisassociatedwiththepaymentoftax.Andindeedtotheleft,thecrowdispressinginfrontofthetax-gatherer’soffice,installedatthewindowoftheinn,whilstinfrontofthedoor,apig isbeingkilled.As in somanyofhis laterpaintings, theartist seemsmorepreoccupiedwiththeeverydayhappeningsofvillagelife,thanthemonumentaleventsofbiblicalstories.

Detail

THECONVERSIONOFPAUL

YetanotherpaintingheldintheKunsthistorischesMuseum,TheConversionofPaul portrays Saint Paul on hisway toDamascus in contemporary dress of ablue doublet and hose, wearing sixteenth century armour and weapons. AsBruegelhadlivedinItalyforatime,hewouldhavebeenfamiliarwithclassicaldress,buthisintentioninrepresentingbiblicalscenesinpresent-daydresswastostress their relevance tohisown time. Inviewof thepersecutionandcounter-persecution of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the story of Paul’sconversionhadespecialsignificance.

The artist has chosen to set Saul’s conversion to Paul in a mountainlandscape.Theseacanbeseeninthedistance.ItwasfromtheItaliancoastthattheSpanish troopssetoff tocross theAlps, their task todriveout thehereticsandcrushNetherlandseffortstoobtainmorefreedom.Bruegelplacesthemainfigures in themiddledistance, almost lost amongst the largenumberofminorfigures, a technique common to Mannerists, intending to tease the spectator,drawingusintotheimageinsearchoftheprincipalsubjects.

Detail

THEPEASANTWEDDING

Bruegelspecialisedingenrepaintingspopulatedwithpeasants;however,thelifeand manners of the common man as the main focus of a work was rare inpaintingatthattimeandheisnowregardedasapioneerofgenrepainting.Hisearthy, unsentimental but vivid depiction of the rituals of village life —including agriculture, hunts,meals, festivals, dances and games— are uniquewindowsonavanishedfolkcultureofNetherlandishlifeandculture,providingaprimesourceoficonographicevidenceaboutbothphysicalandsocialaspectsofsixteenthcenturylife.ThePeasantWedding,datingfrom1567,isoneoftheartist’smosticonicgenrepaintingsandrevealsthepleasureBruegelmusthavetaken in painting peasants and different aspects of their lives. Due to hispreference for these subjects,he earned the sobriquetPeasant-Bruegel, thoughhis works are in fact charged with a sophisticated, intellectual and symbolicpower.TheartistwasalsoaleadingfigureoftheAntwerphumanistcircle.

The wedding feast takes place in a barn in the summertime — the twosheavesofgrainbyarakerecallingtheworkofharvestingandthetoilsomelifeof the peasants.The bride sits in front of a greenwall-hanging,with a paper-crown hung above her head and she also wears a crown on her head, as shepassivelywaits,notparticipatinginthecelebrationstakingplacearoundher.Thebridegroomisnot inattendanceof theweddingfeast inaccordance toFlemishcustom.The plates are carried on a door off its hinges. Themain food of thepeasantswasbread,porridgeandsoup.Otherfeaturesofthesceneincludetwopipersplayingthepijpzak,anunbreechedboyintheforegroundlickingaplate,thewealthymanatthefarrightfeedingadogbyputtingbreadonthebenchandamysteriousextra foot seenunder the loadofdishesbeingcarriedby the twomenintherightforeground.

Itisbelievedthataswellasbeingaliteralportrayalofapeasants’wedding,thepanelpaintingalsocontainsanimportantmoraldimension,commentingonthe excuse favoured by the peasants for self-indulgence. Bruegel is no longerinterested in personifying human foibles asBoschianmonsters; nowhe subtlydepictsourhumanfolliesinanaturalisticandhumorousmanner.

Detail

THEPEASANTDANCE

ThePeasantDancewaspaintedataboutthesametimeasthepreviousplate—the sizes of the two paintings being the same, suggesting they were likelyintendedasapairoraspartofaseriesillustratingpeasantlife.TheyarethetwomostoutstandingexamplesofBruegel’slatestyle,whichischaracterisedbyhisuseofmonumentalItalianatefigures.Onceagain,Bruegelprobablyintendedthepaintingtohaveamoralsenseratherthansimplybeinganaffectionateportrayalofpeasant life.Thesinsofgluttony, lustandangercanallbe identified in thepainting.Themanseatednexttothebagpipeplayerwearsapeacockfeatherinhis hat, which serves as a symbol of vanity and pride. The occasion for thepeasants’ revelry is a saint’sday, although thedancers turn their backson thechurchandpaylittleattentiontotheimageoftheVirginthathangsonthetree.The prominence of the tavern makes it clear that they are preoccupied withmaterial,ratherthanspiritualmatters.

Thispanel,neithersignednordated,waslootedbyNapoleonBonaparteandbrought toParis in 1808, being later returned in 1815.Another version of thesamethemenowresidesintheDetroitInstituteofArts,whichisdatedto1566.Althoughthesurfaceisofapoorcondition,beinggenerallyworn,criticstendtoagree today that it isanoriginalworkbyBruegel.The figuresaresmallerandtherefore the scene ismore crowded and detailed,making the composition, insomerespects,moreeffectivethanitsmorefamouscounterpart,whichhangsintheKunsthistorischesMuseum,Vienna.

Detail

‘TheWeddingDance’,c.1566,oilonpanel,DetroitInstituteofArts

THEBEGGARS

Also known as The Cripples, this 1568 oil-on-panel is the only painting byBruegel to be exhibited in the Louvre, which it received as a gift in 1892. Itpresents the unsettling scene of five cripples, huddled on the outside ground,accompanied by a beggar-woman in the right background, holding a beggingbowl.Variousattemptshavebeenmadetointerprettheimageasanallusiontoahistoricalevent,withthefoxes’tailsattachedonthebeggars’clothesreferencingtheGueux,arebelpartyformedagainstthegovernmentofPhilipIIofSpainandGranvelle.Thefivemenarenoordinarybeggars,astheywearcarnivalheadgearrepresenting various classes of society: a cardboard crown (the king), a papershako(thesoldier),aberet(thebourgeois),acap(thepeasant),andamitre(thebishop)allsuggestingambiguoussatiricalmeanings.Somecommentatorshavesuggested that the beggars’ physical imperfections are intended to symbolisemoraldecrepitude,whichcanaffectallmen,irrespectiveofclass.

On thebackof thepainting, there are two inscriptions,which seem todatefrom the sixteenthcentury.One is inFlemishand inavery fragmentary state;the other is in Latin and records the admiration a humanist critic felt forBruegel’sachievements,whose‘artsurpassesNatureitself’.Thepaintingdatesfrom the end of Bruegel’s career, when he displayed a keener interest in thenaturalworld.

Detail

THEBLINDLEADINGTHEBLIND

PaintedayearbeforeBruegel’sdeath, this famous imageconveysabitter andsorrowful tone. Executed in distemper on linen canvas, it depicts the Biblicalparableoftheblindleadingtheblind,asdescribedinMatthew15:14,inwhichChrist refers to thePharisees.ThepaintingdemonstratesBruegel’smastery ofobservation, as each of the blindmen has a different eye affliction, includingcorneal leukoma, atrophy of globe and removed eyes. The figures hold theirheads aloft tomake better use of their other senses, demonstrating the artist’scareful observation of authentic blind people. The diagonal compositionreinforces the off-kilter motion of the six figures falling in progression. TheimagemayhavebeeninfluencedbytheestablishmentoftheCouncilofTroublesby the government of the Spanish Netherlands in 1567. The council orderedmassarrestsandexecutionstoenforceSpanishruleandsuppressProtestantism.

Bruegel expands the two blindmen in the parable to six and they arewelldressed,ratherthanwearingthepeasantclothingthattypifieshislatework.Theyareportrayedasaprocessionofdisfiguredmen,passingalongapathborderedbyariverononesideandavillagewithachurchontheother.Theleaderofthegrouphasfallenonhisbackintoaditchand,sincetheyareall linkedbytheirstaffs,hedragshiscompanionsdownwithhim.Thefirstblindman’sfaceisnotvisible;thesecondtwistshisheadashefalls,perhapstoavoidlandingface-first.Theshinguard-cladthirdman,onhistoeswithkneesbentandfacetothesky,shares a staffwith the second, bywhich he is being pulled down. The othershaveyettostumble,butthesamefateappearsimminent.

Thechurchinthebackground,identifiedastheSint-AnnaChurch,atDilbeekin modern Belgium, has sparked much modern commentary. Some criticsbelieve that its inclusion is evidenceof thepainting’smoralistic intent— thatwhilethefirsttwoblindmenstumbleandarebeyondredemption,theotherfourarebehindthechurchandsomaybesaved.Anotherinterpretationsuggeststhatthechurch,withawitheredtreeplacedbeforeit,isananti-Catholicsymbol,andthat those who follow it will fall following a blind leader. Others deny anysymbolismin thebuilding,noting thatchurchesfrequentlyappear inBruegel’svillagescenes,astheywereacommonpartofthevillagelandscape.

Bruegel’sdepictionsofbeggarsleftastronginfluenceonthosethatfollowedhim,suchasDavidVinckboons.HieronymusWierixincorporatedacopyofThe

Blind Leading the Blind into the series Twelve Flemish Proverbs. A forgeryattributedtoJacobSaverycalledTheBlindappearedinc. 1600,bearingafalseinscriptiondatingitto1562.Bruegel’ssonPieterBruegheltheYoungerpaintedalargercopyinc. 1616withadditionaldetails,includingaflockofsheep,whichhangstodayintheLouvre.

Detail

TheforgerybyJacobSavery,c. 1600

ThecopybyPieterBruegheltheYounger,c. 1616

ThevillagechurchofSint-Anna-Pede

THEMISANTHROPE

Thistemperacanvaspaintingwascompletedin1568andisheldattheNationalMuseumofCapodimonteinNaples,Italy.Encasedinasquareframe,itdepictsablack-robedandwhite-beardedelderlyman,whoclaspshishandsbeforehim.Asmallerbarefootedmansecretlyusesaknifetocutthestringsoftheotherman’smoney pouch. The oldman appears lost in thought, failing to notice both thetheftandthethornsthatlieinhispath.Atransparentspherewithacrossat itspeakencloses the thief.TheFlemish inscriptionat thebottomreads:“Becausetheworldisperfidious,/Iamgoingintomourning.”Themoralsuggeststhatarelinquishmentof theworld isnotpossible,aswemust faceup to theworld’sdifficultiesandrefusetoabandonourresponsibilities.

Theimageteemswithrichsymbolism.Thesmallfigureinaglassballservesasasymbolofvanity.Thehoodedmisanthropeiscontrastedwiththeshepherdin thebackground,whoguardshis sheepandappearsmorewiseandvirtuous,due to the simple, honourable performance of his duties and his sense ofresponsibilitytowardhischarges.Themisanthropeiswalkingunawarestowardsthemantrapssetforhimbytheworldand, inspiteofhis intentions,hecannotrenounceitashewouldwish.

Bruegel issaid tohavediedabout theyear1570at theageofsixty, thoughother accounts give 1590 as the date of his death. There are about 45authenticated surviving paintings, one third of which are housed in theKunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. A number of other oil paintings areknown to have been lost. Pieter the Elder had two sons: Pieter Brueghel theYoungerandJanBruegheltheElder,whowereverysmallchildrenwhentheirfatherdiedandsowerebroughtupbytheirgrandmother,MaykenVerhulst.Theolderbrother,PieterBrueghel,wasnot thebetterpainterof the two;hecopiedhis father’s style, but without any degree of great talent. Jan was moresuccessful;heturnedtotheBaroquestyleandevencollaboratedwithPeterPaulRubens.

Detail

PieterBruegheltheYoungerbyAnthonyvanDyck

JanBreughelwithhissecondwifeandtheireldestchildrenbyPeterPaulRubens,1615

ThePaintings

Antwerp,acityinBelgium,intheregionofFlanders.In1551BruegelenteredtheguildofAntwerpasamasterpainter,whereheremaineduntil1563.

‘ViewofAntwerpwiththefrozenScheldt’byLucasvanValckenborch,1590

THECOMPLETEPAINTINGS

Bruegel’s paintings are presented in chronological order, with an alphabeticaltableofcontentsfollowingimmediatelyafter.

CONTENTS

LandscapewithChristandtheApostlesattheSeaofTiberiasTheAdorationoftheKingsParableoftheSowerTwelveProverbsNetherlandishProverbsTheFightBetweenCarnivalandLentChildren’sGamesBattleintheBayofNaplesLandscapewiththeFallofIcarus(copy)TheFalloftheRebelAngelsDullGretTheTriumphofDeathTwoMonkeysTheSuicideofSaulPortraitofanOldWomanYawningManLandscapewiththeFlightintoEgyptTheTowerofBabelTheAdorationoftheKingsDeathoftheVirginTheProcessiontoCalvaryTheHuntersintheSnowTheReturnoftheHerdHaymakingTheHarvestersTheGloomyDayChristandtheWomanTakeninAdultery

TheTowerofBabelMassacreoftheInnocentsTheWineofSaintMartin’sDayTheWineofSaintMartin’sDayTheCensusatBethlehemTheLandofCockaigneTheSermonofSaintJohntheBaptistTheWeddingDanceAdorationoftheKingsintheSnowConversionofPaulTheBeggarsTheThreeSoldiersTheMagpieontheGallowsParableoftheBlindTheMisanthropeThePeasantWeddingThePeasantDanceThePeasantandtheNestRobberTheDrunkardPushedintothePigstyTheStormatSea

ALPHABETICALLISTOFPAINTINGS

CONTENTS

AdorationoftheKingsintheSnowBattleintheBayofNaplesChildren’sGamesChristandtheWomanTakeninAdulteryConversionofPaulDeathoftheVirginDullGretHaymakingLandscapewithChristandtheApostlesattheSeaofTiberiasLandscapewiththeFallofIcarus(copy)LandscapewiththeFlightintoEgyptMassacreoftheInnocentsNetherlandishProverbsParableoftheBlindParableoftheSowerPortraitofanOldWomanTheAdorationoftheKingsTheAdorationoftheKingsTheBeggarsTheCensusatBethlehemTheDrunkardPushedintothePigstyTheFalloftheRebelAngelsTheFightBetweenCarnivalandLentTheGloomyDayTheHarvestersTheHuntersintheSnowTheLandofCockaigneTheMagpieontheGallowsTheMisanthropeThePeasantandtheNestRobber

ThePeasantDanceThePeasantWeddingTheProcessiontoCalvaryTheReturnoftheHerdTheSermonofSaintJohntheBaptistTheStormatSeaTheSuicideofSaulTheThreeSoldiersTheTowerofBabelTheTowerofBabelTheTriumphofDeathTheWeddingDanceTheWineofSaintMartin’sDayTheWineofSaintMartin’sDayTwelveProverbsTwoMonkeysYawningMan

LandscapewithChristandtheApostlesattheSeaofTiberias1553Oilonpanel67x100Privatecollection

TheAdorationoftheKingsc.1556Temperaoncanvas124×169RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium

ParableoftheSower1557Oilonpanel73.7×102.9TimkenMuseumofArt

TwelveProverbs1558Oilonpanel75×98MuseumMayervandenBergh

NetherlandishProverbs1559Oilonpanel117×163BerlinStateMuseums

TheFightBetweenCarnivalandLent1559Oilonpanel118×164KunsthistorischesMuseum

Children’sGames1560Oilonpanel118×161KunsthistorischesMuseum

BattleintheBayofNaples1560Oilonpanel42.2×71.2DoriaPamphiljGallery

LandscapewiththeFallofIcarus(copy)1560sOiloncanvas73.5×112RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium

TheFalloftheRebelAngels1562Oilonpanel117×162RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium

DullGret1562Oilonpanel117.4×162MuseumMayervandenBergh

TheTriumphofDeathс.1562Oilonpanel117×162Prado

TwoMonkeys1562Oiloncanvas20×23BerlinStateMuseums

TheSuicideofSaul1562Oilonpanel33.5×55KunsthistorischesMuseum

PortraitofanOldWoman1563Oilonpanel22×18AltePinakothek

YawningMan1563?Oilonpanel12.6x9.2RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium

LandscapewiththeFlightintoEgypt1563Oilonpanel37.1×55.6CourtauldInstituteGalleries

TheTowerofBabel1563Oilonpanel114×155KunsthistorischesMuseum

TheAdorationoftheKings1564Oilonpanel111.1×83.2TheNationalGallery,London

DeathoftheVirgin1564Oilonpanel36×55UptonHouse

TheProcessiontoCalvary1564Oilonpanel124×170KunsthistorischesMuseum

TheHuntersintheSnow1565Oilonpanel117×162KunsthistorischesMuseum

TheReturnoftheHerd1565Oilonpanel117×159KunsthistorischesMuseum

Haymaking1565Oilonpanel117×161LobkowiczPalaceatthePragueCastleComplex

TheHarvesters1565Oilonpanel116.5×159.5MetropolitanMuseumofArt

TheGloomyDay1565Oilonpanel118×163KunsthistorischesMuseum

ChristandtheWomanTakeninAdulteryc.1565Oilonpanel24×34CourtauldInstituteGalleries

TheTowerofBabelc.1565Oilonpanel59.9×74.6MuseumBoijmansVanBeuningen

MassacreoftheInnocentsc.1565-1567Oilonpanel109.2×158.1RoyalCollectionandatUptonHouse,Warwickshire

TheWineofSaintMartin’sDay1565–1568Temperaoncanvas148×270.5Prado

TheWineofSaintMartin’sDayc.1565–1568Oiloncanvas147×269.5RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium

TheCensusatBethlehem1566Oilonpanel115.5×163.5RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium

TheLandofCockaigne1566Oilonpanel52×78AltePinakothek

TheSermonofSaintJohntheBaptist1566Oilonpanel95×160.5MuseumofFineArts(Budapest)

TheWeddingDancec.1566Oilonpanel119.4×157.5DetroitInstituteofArts

AdorationoftheKingsintheSnow1567Temperaonpanel35×55MuseumOskarReinhartamStadtgarten

ConversionofPaul1567Oilonpanel108×156KunsthistorischesMuseum

TheBeggars1568Oilonpanel18.5×21.5Louvre

TheThreeSoldiers1568Oilonpanel20.3×17.8TheFrickCollection

TheMagpieontheGallows1568Oilonpanel45.9×50.8HessischesLandesmuseum

ParableoftheBlind1568Temperaoncanvas85.5×154MuseodiCapodimonte

TheMisanthrope1568Temperaoncanvas86×85MuseodiCapodimonte

ThePeasantWedding1568Oilonpanel114×164KunsthistorischesMuseum

ThePeasantDance1568Oilonpanel114×164KunsthistorischesMuseum

ThePeasantandtheNestRobber1568Oilonpanel59.3×68.3KunsthistorischesMuseum

TheDrunkardPushedintothePigsty1568?Oilonpanel18cm.diam.PrivateCollection(SoldatChristiesin2002)

TheStormatSea1569Oilonpanel70.3×97KunsthistorischesMuseum

TheDrawings

Brussels,Belgium—Bruegel’shomefrom1563untilhisdeathin1569

LISTOFDRAWINGS

CONTENTS

RiverLandscapeSouthernCloisterinaValleyWoodedLandscapewithMillsPastoralLandscapeMountainLandscapewithRidgeandValleyPaththroughaVillageMuleCaravanonHillsideRipaGrandeinRomeAlpineLandscapeLandscapewithaFortifiedTownLandscapewithSaintJeromeMountainLandscapewithaRiverSylvanLandscapewithFiveBearsItalianLandscape(afterDomenicoCampagnola)LandscapewithaGroupofTreesandaMuleWoodedLandscapewithaDistantViewtowardtheSeaBigFishEatLittleFishGreedRestontheFlightintoEgyptTheTemptationsofSt.AnthonyDesidia(Sloth)TheAlchemistElckSevenvirtues-Love(Charitas)MadMegThePainterandtheBuyerSpringBeekeepersCalumnyofApellesAFoolTryingtoHatchanEmptyEgg

WildemansMaskeradeSevenDeadlySins-Greed(Avaritia)SevenDeadlySins-Pride(Superbia)SevenDeadlySins-Acedia(Desidia)SevenDeadlySins-GluttonySevenDeadlySins-Envy(Invidia)SevenDeadlySins-Wrath(Ira)SevenDeadlySins-Lechery(Luxuria)SevenDeadlySins-FinalDepictionoftheDoomSevenVirtues-Faith(Fides)SevenVirtues-Hope(Spes)SevenVirtues-Love(Charitas)SevenVirtues-Temperance(Temperantia)SevenVirtues-Wisdom(Prudentia)SevenVirtues-Justice(Iusticia)SevenVirtues-Force(Fortitudo)SevenVirtues-ChristinLimboTheFairofSaintGeorge’sDayLandscapewithRabbitHunt

RiverLandscape1552PenoninkDépartmentdesArtsGraphiquesduMuséeduLouvre,Paris

SouthernCloisterinaValley1552Penonink32.6×18.5cm(12.8×7.3in)StaatlicheMuseenzuBerlin,Kupferstichkabinett

WoodedLandscapewithMills1552Inkonpaper28.1×21.3cm(11.1×8.4in)BibliotecaAmbrosiana,Milan

PastoralLandscape1552Inkonpaper21.5×31cm(8.5×12.2in)NationalMuseumofArt,Oslo

MountainLandscapewithRidgeandValleyc.1552Inkonpaper20.4×29.5cm(8×11.6in)HerzogAntonUlrich-MuseumBraunschweig,Kupferstichkabinett

PaththroughaVillagec.1552Inkonpaper20.7×33.1cm(8.1×13in)PrentenkabinetderRijksuniversiteit,Leiden

MuleCaravanonHillsidec.1552.Inkonpaper20.7×33.1cm(8.1×13in)PrentenkabinetderRijksuniversiteit,Leiden

RipaGrandeinRomec.1552-54Inkonpaper21.8×30.2cm(8.6×11.9in)MuseumBoijmansVanBeuningen,Rotterdam

AlpineLandscapec.1553Penonink23.6×34.3cm(9.3×13.5in)DépartmentdesArtsGraphiquesduMuséeduLouvre,Paris

LandscapewithaFortifiedTown1553Penonpaper23.6×33.3cm(9.3×13.1in)BritishMuseum,London

LandscapewithSaintJerome1553Penonpaper23.2×33.6cm(9.1×13.2in)NationalGalleryofArt,Washington

MountainLandscapewithaRiver1553Penonpaper22.9×33.8cm(9×13.3in)BritishMuseum,London

SylvanLandscapewithFiveBears1554PenonpaperNationalGalleryinPrague

ItalianLandscape(afterDomenicoCampagnola)1554Penonpaper46.6×33.3cm(18.3×13.1in)SaatlicheMuseenzuBerlin,Kupferstichkabinett

LandscapewithaGroupofTreesandaMule1554Penonink19.7×25.8cm(7.8×10.2in)Privatecollection

WoodedLandscapewithaDistantViewtowardtheSea1554Penonpaper26×34.4cm(10.2×13.5in)TheFoggArtMuseum

BigFishEatLittleFish1556PenoninkAlbertina,Vienna

Greed1556Penonink22.8×29.7cm(9×11.7in)BritishMuseum,London

RestontheFlightintoEgypt1555-56Penonink20.3×28.2cm(8×11.1in)SaatlicheMuseenzuBerlin,Kupferstichkabinett

TheTemptationsofSt.Anthony1556DrawingOxford,AshmoleanMuseum

Desidia(Sloth)1557PenoninkAlbertina,Vienna

TheAlchemist1558PenoninkKupferstichkabinett,Berlin

Elck1558Penonink22.8×29.7cm(9×11.7in)BritishMuseum,London

Sevenvirtues-Love(Charitas)1559Penonink22.3×29.4cm(8.8×11.6in)MuseumBoijmansVanBeuningen,Rotterdam

MadMeg1561Penonink39×53.4cm(15.4×21in)MuseumKunstpalast,Düsseldorf

ThePainterandtheBuyer1565Penonink39×53.4cm(15.4×21in)Albertina,Vienna

Spring1565PenoninkAlbertina,Vienna

Beekeepersc.1568Drawing20.3×30.9cm(8×12.2in)StaatlicheMuseenzuBerlin,Kupferstichkabinett

CalumnyofApelles1565-69Penonink20.2×30.6cm(8×12in)BritishMuseum,London

AFoolTryingtoHatchanEmptyEgg1569Penandbrowninkonpaper17.5×17.9cm(6.9×7in)London,BritishMuseum

WildemansMaskerade1566Woodcut27.5×41.3cm(10.8×16.3in)MuseumBojimansVanBeuningen,Rotterdam

SevenDeadlySins-Greed(Avaritia)1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-Pride(Superbia)1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-Acedia(Desidia)1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-Gluttony1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-Envy(Invidia)1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-Wrath(Ira)1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-Lechery(Luxuria)1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenDeadlySins-FinalDepictionoftheDoom1558Etchingandengraving22.5×29.5cm(8.9×11.6in)

SevenVirtues-Faith(Fides)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-Hope(Spes)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-Love(Charitas)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-Temperance(Temperantia)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-Wisdom(Prudentia)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-Justice(Iusticia)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-Force(Fortitudo)1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

SevenVirtues-ChristinLimbo1561-62Etchingandengraving23.3×28.7cm(9.2×11.3in)

TheFairofSaintGeorge’sDay1559-62Etchingandengraving33.6×52.4cm(13.2×20.6in)MuseumofFineArts,Houston

LandscapewithRabbitHunt1560Etching21.3×29.2cm(8.4×11.5in)Rijksmuseum,Amsterdam

TheBiography

PortraitofPieterBruegeltheElderbyEdmedeBoulonois,1682

BRIEFBIOGRAPHY

FromTheEncyclopediaAmericana,1920

BRUEGEL,orBREUGHEL,BREUGELS,etc.,afamilyoriginatinginBrabantandofwhichnolessthan12individuals—duringaperiodoffivegenerations—wereartists.Onlyoneofthemisoffirst-rateimportance,butheissufficientto immortalize thename.This is the founderof the family,Pieter: b.Bruegel,nearBreda,about1528;d.Brussels1569.He isoftenspokenofas theOldorPeasantBruegel,by reasonofhis subjects, and is tobedistinguished fromhisson,PieterII,calledHellBruegel.Whilethelatermembersofthefamilymaybeconsidered as of the Flemish school, Pieter (I) is of the Dutch school. PieterBruegel, theelder,beganhis studiesunderapupilofHieronymusBosch,whopersuaded him to go toAntwerp andwork under P.Coeck d’Alast, painter toCharlesV.Hedidso,buthisadmirationforhisrobustcompatriot,Bosch,kepthim from accepting the Italian tendency ofCoeck, and it is toBosch thatwemusttraceBruegel’stechniqueandhisideaofart.In1551heenteredtheguildofAntwerpasamasterpainter.ShortlyafterwardhemadeajourneytoItaly,byway of France, arriving in Rome in 1553. By 1554 hewas back in Flanders,againbutlittleinfluencedbytheItalians.HelivedatAntwerptill1563,whenhemarried the daughter of Pieter Coeck and took up his residence at Brussels,whereheremaineduntilhisdeath.It isduringhislastsixyearsthathisgeniusreacheditsgreatestdevelopment.Hehadalreadyaccomplishedapowerfulandoriginal work in his earlier religious pictures and he continued with thesesubjects.But the realisticobservationofBruegelwasmoreat libertywhen, inhislastperiod,hefranklytookthelifeabouthimashissubject,forithadbeenthatwhich interested him chiefly evenwhen depicting sacred themes. All thevigoroushumorandsatireofBoschappearagaininafinerandmoreprofoundspirit.Thewhole outlook ofBrouwer,Ostade andTeniers in the 17th centuryandMilletinthe19thisforeseen,andtheyneverapproachedtheirpredecessor.The sane and healthy outlook on mankind is supplemented by a magnificentconceptionofnature.Onecanthinkofnootherpainterwhohasgiventhesenseof vastness in a landscape and at the same time kept the amazing realism ofdetailthatBruegelgivesus.Bestofall,hehasasenseofdesignthatcarrieshisphilosophicandemotionalqualitiesimmediatelyintotherealmofart.Heis,in

fact, one of the world’s great designers, and the admiration he inspires isincreased when we reflect that he is the originator of his style instead ofinheritingitfromothers.Aspainting,whetherintempera(asthe‘BlindMen’atNaples)orinoil(e.g.,‘Winter’atTournai)hisworksaremasterpieces.Amongotherimportantpicturestobementionedarethe‘MassacreoftheInnocents,’atBrussels; ‘The Brigands,’ at the University of Stockholm; ‘The WeddingDinner’attheViennaMuseum,and‘TheWolf,’inthecollectionofMr.JohnG.JohnsonofPhiladelphia.HisspiritedandimportantengravingshavebeeneditedbyVanBastelaer.Hiseldestson,PieterTheYounger,b.Brussels1564;d.there1637,studiedwithGillisvanConincxlooatAntwerp.Likehisfather,hepaintedruralandgenresubjects,butheisgenerallyknownas“Höllen-Bruegel,”becauseofhis fondness for representing the infernal regions and subjects likewitches,devilsandrobbers.JanBruegel,TheElder:b.Brussels1568;d.there1625.Theyounger son of Pieter the Elder is usually called “Velvet-Bruegel” from thesoftnessandsmoothnessofhistechnique.HestudiedwithGoetkindinAntwerpand spent several years in Italy.He returned toAntwerp about1597and soonacquiredwealthandhighhonors.Hewasdeanofthepainters’guild(1601-02)and, likehis intimate friend,Rubens,wasofficial painter to the regentsof theNetherlands. His landscapes are important in the development of landscapepainting.Theyusuallycontainmanysmall figuresandarenumerous inall theprincipal European collections. The most important are probably the 54examplesinthegalleryofMadrid.Hissonandpupil,JanBruegel,TheYounger:b.Brussels1601;d.1678.Itisdifficulttodistinguishhisworkfromhisfather’s.For the Bruegel family consult Rooses, ‘Geschiedenis der Antwerpschebilderschule’(Antwerp1887-90),andMichel,‘LesBrueghel’(Paris1892).

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Complete Works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder

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