Synopses & Reviews
Folk stories: An eye on everyday peasant life At a time when artists were still widely preoccupied with religious or mythological subject matter, the great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525–1569) defied the trend. Earning the nickname “Peasant Bruegel”, he turned his attention instead to the humble and the everyday, immersing himself in rural or small-town communities and painting the everyday existence and customs of peasant life.
In their evocation of the agriculture, festivals, meals, dances and games that made up peasant life of this period, Brugel's paintings are a unique witness to a now vanished folk culture. More than socio-historical evidence, they also display a brilliantly sophisticated artistic design and a great mastery in the use of landscape. Many of Bruegel's works show the influence of the Dutch master painter Hieronymus Bosch, and, like Bosch, Bruegel also developed an intricate language of visual allegory and idiom.
This comprehensive introduction features the complete paintings of Bruegel, including the Prado's The Wine of Saint Martin's Day, identified as a Bruegel original in 2010.
Synopsis
The sense of a scene: Pieter Bruegel's mastery of composition and community The great Flemish painter
Pieter Bruegel the Elder (
c. 1526/31-1569) was an astoundingly inventive painter and draftsman, who made his art historical mark with
beautiful, evocative landscapes as well as religious subjects, both notable for their
vernacular language and attention to
everyday, contemporary life.
Immersing himself in rural or small-town communities, Bruegel is particularly notable for his depiction of
peasant experience and folk culture, earning the artist nickname "Peasant Bruegel." Whether hunters shivering in the snow or a boisterous country fair, Bruegel
raised the farming, festivals, gatherings, and games of peasant culture to the status of high art. Bruegel's imposing religious and moral subjects, meanwhile, such as
The Triumph of Death and
The Tower of Babel are as awestriking and influential today as they were in the 16th century, inspiring contemporary culture from
The Lord of the Rings cinematic battle scenes to Don DeLillo's novel
Underworld. From the corn harvest to the conversion of Saul, from quaint wedding processions to Christ's road to Calvary, this book brings together the rich range of Bruegel's subjects to introduce his powerful compositions of both biblical and earthly tableaux.
About the Series: Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:
- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography
- approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions
Synopsis
The great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/31-1569) was an astoundingly inventive painter and draftsman, who made his art historical mark with beautiful, evocative landscapes as well as religious subjects, both notable for their vernacular language and attention to everyday, contemporary life.
Immersing himself in rural or small-town communities, Bruegel is particularly notable for his depiction of peasant experience and folk culture, earning the artist nickname "Peasant Bruegel." Whether hunters shivering in the snow or a boisterous country fair, Bruegel raised the farming, festivals, gatherings, and games of peasant culture to the status of high art. Bruegel's imposing religious and moral subjects, meanwhile, such as The Triumph of Death and The Tower of Babel are as awestriking and influential today as they were in the 16th century, inspiring contemporary culture from The Lord of the Rings cinematic battle scenes to Don DeLillo's novel Underworld.
From the corn harvest to the conversion of Saul, from quaint wedding processions to Christ's road to Calvary, this book brings together the rich range of Bruegel's subjects to introduce his powerful compositions of both biblical and earthly tableaux.
About the series
Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:
a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
a concise biography
approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions
About the Author
Rose-Marie Hagen was born in Switzerland and studied history, Romance languages and literature in Lausanne. After further studies in Paris and Florence, she lectured at the American University in Washington, D.C.Rainer Hagen was born in Hamburg and graduated in literature and theatre studies in Munich. He later worked for radio and TV, most recently as chief editor of a German public broadcasting service. Together they have collaborated on several TASCHEN titles, including Masterpieces in Detail, Pieter Bruegel and Francisco de Goya.