The Story Behind these Bruegel the Elder Prints

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1530-1569) was a Flemish print designer and painter during the Renaissance period. He is famous for his nickname ‘Peasant Bruegel’, as he often depicted agricultural labour and rural townships throughout his work. He was within the first movement of artists that moved away from having religion as their most prominent subject matter, and he instead focused on everyday life and current affairs.

He joined the Antwerp painters’ guild in 1551 and studied under his master, Pieter Coecke van Aelst. He later travelled around Rome and Southern Italy, where he collaborated with the miniaturist Giulio Clovio. His early work was inspired by artists such as Joachim Patiner, who played with perspective and used high horizons as a point of view for his landscapes.

Known as an intellectual townsman, he wanted to relate to his contemporaries by representing normal life. His beautifully detailed pieces often portray the changes throughout the seasons of nature and community, such as Hunters in the Snow. His work went on to be very influential for the Baroque style and the Dutch Golden Age of painting. His biological lineage continued to be successful artists and painters, who were inspired by his influential work for many years on.