Synopses & Reviews
The recent rediscovery in Spain of Pieter Bruegel the ElderGÇÖs lost painting, The Wine of Saint MartinGÇÖs Day, has created even more interest in this much-loved artist, who was one of the NetherlandsGÇÖ two great masters of satire and fantasy, along with Hieronymus Bosch. Although these two artists never met each otherGÇöBruegel was born around 1525, a decade after BoschGÇÖs deathGÇönumerous features link them; indeed, Bruegel painted several demon-infested hellscapes directly inspired by the older master, and he was known in Antwerp as a GÇ£second Bosch.GÇ¥ But Bruegel is most famous for his peasant scenes, often humorous and packed with anecdote, and for his landscapes, which poignantly evoke NatureGÇÖs changing seasons. His legacy to Netherlandish art was the enduring popularity of both these genres, as well as the artistic dynasty he founded, beginning with his painter sons Pieter the Younger and Jan Brueghel.Critics have often remarked how BruegelGÇÖs art, so keenly observed and richly detailed, seems to preserve a world in miniature. In this new monograph, Larry Silver, an eminent historian of Northern Renaissance art, serves as our guide to that world. He leads us expertly through BruegelGÇÖs complex and fascinating iconography, allowing us to see his paintings and drawings from the same perspective as his sixteenth-century countrymen. Silver situates Bruegel within the visual culture of his timeGÇöexploring, for example, his relationship with the print publisher Hieronymus CockGÇöand within the broader context of Netherlandish history. All of BruegelGÇÖs surviving paintings are reproduced here, with many full-page details, as well as all of his prints and representative works by his contemporaries and followers.This volume on Bruegel complements SilverGÇÖs widely praised monograph on Hieronymus Bosch, which was published by Abbeville Press in 2006. These two books are the most authoritative and best-illustrated studies of their respective subjects, and together they present us with a panorama of Netherlandish artGÇÖs emergence into the distinctive form of the Northern Renaissance.
Synopsis
The exciting recent rediscovery in Spain of a missing canvas by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1525-69) has jolted a revived public awareness of this great Flemish painter. Best known for his amusing depictions of peasants, landscapes, and Bosch-like fantasies, Bruegel also created a wide range of highly original interpretations of religious themes in an era marked by religious controversies. Over a career of two decades as both a printmaker and a painter, he found his artistic niche in Europe's leading center of international trade, the emerging "capital of capitalism," Antwerp.
This new full-length study examines all works by Pieter Bruegel, including the new Madrid canvas, within the wider setting of art during his lifetime. All of his drawings, prints, and paintings on both canvas and panel are examined for form and content with comprehensive analysis. In addition, interpretation of the full range of Flemish paintings and prints during his generation is presented through the lens of Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel's own print publisher, "At the Sign of the Four Winds." Within this spectrum Bruegel's uniqueness and mastery emerges clearly.
While scholars will appreciate the novel insights of this comprehensive re-examination of Pieter Bruegel, its highly accessible text will introduce newcomers and the general public to the delights of this inventive, trenchant, yet often amusing visual commentator on the human condition. All readers will relish the large-scale reproductions and frequent details in full color of his entire oeuvre in all media. This handsome, large-scale volume will form the definitive study and accessible introduction to the life and art of Pieter Bruegel.
Synopsis
Synopsis
"Silver's Bruegel is an achievement of scholarship and an object of great beauty"
-- The Bloomsbury Review
The exciting rediscovery in Spain of a missing canvas by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1525-69) has jolted a revived public awareness of this great Flemish painter. Best known for his amusing depictions of peasants, landscapes, and Bosch-like fantasies, Bruegel also created a wide range of highly original interpretations of religious themes in an era marked by religious controversies. Over a career of two decades as both a printmaker and a painter, he found his artistic niche in Europe's leading center of international trade, the emerging "capital of capitalism," Antwerp.
This new full-length study examines all works by Pieter Bruegel, including the new Madrid canvas, within the wider setting of art during his lifetime. All of his drawings, prints, and paintings on both canvas and panel are examined for form and content with comprehensive analysis. In addition, interpretation of the full range of Flemish paintings and prints during his generation is presented through the lens of Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel's own print publisher, "At the Sign of the Four Winds." Within this spectrum Bruegel's uniqueness and mastery emerges clearly.
While scholars will appreciate the novel insights of this comprehensive re-examination of Pieter Bruegel, its highly accessible text will introduce newcomers and the general public to the delights of this inventive, trenchant, yet often amusing visual commentator on the human condition. All readers will relish the large-scale reproductions and frequent details in full color of his entire oeuvre in all media. This handsome, large-scale volume will form the definitive study and accessible introduction to the life and art of Pieter Bruegel.
Synopsis
"Silver's Bruegel is an achievement of scholarship and an object of great beauty"
-- The Bloomsbury Review
The exciting rediscovery in Spain of a missing canvas by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (ca. 1525-69) has jolted a revived public awareness of this great Flemish painter. Best known for his amusing depictions of peasants, landscapes, and Bosch-like fantasies, Bruegel also created a wide range of highly original interpretations of religious themes in an era marked by religious controversies. Over a career of two decades as both a printmaker and a painter, he found his artistic niche in Europe's leading center of international trade, the emerging "capital of capitalism," Antwerp.
This new full-length study examines all works by Pieter Bruegel, including the new Madrid canvas, within the wider setting of art during his lifetime. All of his drawings, prints, and paintings on both canvas and panel are examined for form and content with comprehensive analysis. In addition, interpretation of the full range of Flemish paintings and prints during his generation is presented through the lens of Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel's own print publisher, "At the Sign of the Four Winds." Within this spectrum Bruegel's uniqueness and mastery emerges clearly.
While scholars will appreciate the novel insights of this comprehensive re-examination of Pieter Bruegel, its highly accessible text will introduce newcomers and the general public to the delights of this inventive, trenchant, yet often amusing visual commentator on the human condition. All readers will relish the large-scale reproductions and frequent details in full color of his entire oeuvre in all media. This handsome, large-scale volume will form the definitive study and accessible introduction to the life and art of Pieter Bruegel.
Synopsis
Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525and#8211; 1569), known for his beautiful landscapes and peasant scenes, is among the most popular artists in the history of Netherlandish painting. Reproducing all of Bruegeland#8217;s best-known paintings, drawings, and prints, this book reveals them as never before, in stunning large close-up details that showcase his mastery. Organized by his major themesand#8212;landscapes, daily life, biblical subjects, and festive celebrationsand#8212;it offers astonishing views of popular works of art such as
Hunters in the Snow,
Peasant Wedding, and
The Tower of Babel. The printings and drawings section includes his series on Sins and Virtues. Breugel expert Manfred Sellink reveals how Bruegel introduced new subject matter into fine art and examines his use of landscape, perhaps the artistand#8217;s greatest innovation.
About the Author
Larry Silver, a historian of Northern Renaissance art, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and is currently Farquhar Professor of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania. His other books include Hieronymus Bosch (Abbeville Press), the general survey Art in History, and Landscapes and Peasant Scenes: The Rise of Pictorial Genres in the Antwerp Art Market.