Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Educated, perceptive, bold

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who is probably born in 1525 in Breda, is a painter in the Flemish Renaissance. As famous as his 16th century rural genre paintings have become, little is known about his life.

Bruegel’s biographer, Carel van Mander, publishes a Book of Painters in Amsterdam in 1604 which gives us some basic facts: Bruegel trains with Antwerp artist Pieter Coecke van Aelst and becomes a master in 1551. He lives in Rome for a while (from 1553) before returning to Antwerp and marrying the daughter of his former mentor. The couple have 2 sons, Jan and Pieter the Younger, who also become painters.

Bruegel is exceedingly successful, supplying the Flemish and European elite with paintings, as a glance at his commissioners shows. The artist expresses himself in a profound and complex language - the smallest detail is intentional. Although he is often called ‘Peasant Bruegel’, this primarily refers to his work.

He is certainly no peasant, rather an educated humanist, perceptive and bold. He sees through the political and social motives of both the rulers and the ruled and lays them bare. Aware that he is on dangerous ground, his wife receives instructions to destroy a series of sketches because of their explosive political nature in his testament. Pieter Bruegel the Elder dies on September 5, 1569 and is laid to rest in Brussels.