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| Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1525–1569) | ||||||||||
| Pieter Brueghel the Elder, known as Peasant Brueghel or 'the Droll', was born in Brueghel near Breda and is considered the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century. He trained under Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Hieronymus Cock, but his work shows far more influence from the imaginative and eccentric style of Hieronymus Bosch than from his formal instructors. Brueghel became a master of the Antwerp guild in 1551 and shortly afterwards travelled to Italy and France, paying particular attention to the most rugged and romantic regions of the Alps. When he returned to Flanders in 1553, he settled in Antwerp, where his work earned considerable admiration, and in 1563 he moved to Brussels. Brueghel painted an exceptionally wide range of subjects, often characterised by humour and whimsy. He is best known for scenes of peasant life, capturing village feasts, weddings, dancing, and general merrymaking, sometimes disguising himself as a peasant to observe his subjects closely and record their behaviour accurately. These works are executed from a realistic, pleasant, and often humorous perspective, though they do not always avoid coarse elements. He also painted biblical subjects, ghostly and magical scenes, battles, attacks by bandits in wild landscapes, gypsies telling fortunes, and other whimsical compositions in the manner of Bosch, rivalled only by Teniers in these imaginative subjects. Across every style, manner, and theme, Brueghel’s attention to detail is nearly scientific, with his early landscapes reflecting the Flemish tradition of the 16th century and his later works showing a more Italianate approach. In addition to painting, he produced engravings, etchings, and an extensive number of masterful drawings, many created during his travels, demonstrating his versatility and skill. Brueghel died in Brussels. | ||||||||||
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Art