Bruegel

Pieter the Elder Bruegel (ca.1528-1569) The painter Pieter Bruegel is mainly known as a chronicler of everyday life in the Flemish countryside with paintings such as “Proverbs” and “Children’s games”, but Bruegel’s work has another side which reminds us of Hiëronymus Bosch (±1516). Like with all early artists the warning morality was a large factor. People felt they were surrounded by a hostile world filled with natural and human violence, epidemic diseases and other threats for which they had no other explanation but the hands of fate. It was left to artists and the clergy to show how destiny could be influenced favourably. Nevertheless, Bruegel was light-hearted as well. He evoked a feeling of alienation by placing playful scenes before impressing and beautifully painted landscapes and with hilarious exaggeration “Pieter the funny one”, as was his nickname, provoked laughter amongst his contemporaries.