Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Hendrick Hondius (I), Portrait of Pieter Bruegel, 1610, Rijksmuseum, engraving, 201 mm x 123 mm, inv. RP-P-1907-352 - CC0

A painter of peasant scenes: thus is Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/1530 - 1569) known to the general public. His work, however, covers an extensive number of themes: the rustic and folkloric life, epic (winter) landscapes, seascapes and religious-moralistic or humanistic inspired works. Bruegel's observation of humanity, translated into paintings, drawings and prints, takes us back to the second and third quarters of the sixteenth century. The new website shows Bruegel as a shrewd observer of the condition humaine with incomparable technical abilities.

Biography

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525/1530 - 1569) is a Brabant painter, draughtsman, etcher and print designer. Despite his fame as an artist, we know precious little about the man himself. A great deal of factual information is lacking for us, such as his precise year of birth, place of birth, information about his education and his residence until 1563. Did he have substantial means and what was his place in society? How was he established in life? These are essential questions that remain unanswered.

The Pieter Bruegel the Elder website maps out the existing information on Bruegel in four parts: biography, chronology of life and work, Bruegel as painter, Bruegel as draughtsman and graphic artist.

An on-line museum with a complete overview of Bruegel's oeuvre

The works of Bruegel constitute a part of diverse, international museum collections. Approximately half of the works by Bruegel were presented in the Bruegel exhibition in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna at the end of 2018. Due to their fragility, however, the works of Bruegel do not travel very often, and as a result, the exhibition was billed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

To the present day, Bruegel continues to inspire. With this website, we make the work of the Master permanently accessible.

Manfred Sellink (MSK Gent), Bruegel expert

The website 'Pieter Bruegel the Elder' offers a complete overview of Bruegel's oeuvre, with images, often able to be consulted at high resolution.  

Discover the collection

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, One four-masted and two armed three-masted ships anchored off a fortified island with a lighthouse, engraving and etch — CC0

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hilly landscape with Three Pelgrims — CC0

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Witch of Mallegem (Stone operation) — CC0, beeld artinflanders.be, photo Dominique Provost

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Children's Games — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 © KHM-Museumsverband

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Wedding Dance — CC0

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Fides (Faith) — CC0

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Fall of the Magician Hermogenes — CC0

Themes in the spotlight

In addition to an online collection, the website includes texts about Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s oeuvre, around themes such as humor, nature observation, the landscape, religious-moralizing allegories, Peasant Bruegel and the influence of Hieronymus Bosch.

Discover the thematic collection presentations

Pieter I Bruegel, Mad Meg, 1563, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, oil on panel - CC0, foto Michel Wuyts

More information

The website also directs you to the reference literature and contains background information about the institutions that house his works.

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Pieter Bruegel the Elder, One four-masted and two armed three-masted ships anchored off a fortified island with a lighthouse, engraving and etch

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, One four-masted and two armed three-masted ships anchored off a fortified island with a lighthouse, engraving and etch, 29,4 cm x 22,6 cm, inv. 59.534.23

Are you curious about the oeuvre of Pieter Bruegel the Elder?

Visit the Bruegel website