Pieter Brueghel d. Ä.
Born in the small village of Brueghel in Breda before 1528-30 Pieter Brueghel is considered one of the greatest painters of the 16th century. He was called by his first biographer Karel van Mander "Farmer Brueghel" because the farmer image is an independent genre is his creations. There are very few documents about his life. All information about his life and creativity in Antwerp and Brussels can be taken only from his works. Conclusions about his year of birth can be drown from the recording in the Guild of St. Luke 1551. The following year he left for Italy and possibly came back to Antwerben in 1554. Initially he worked as a draftsman in the publishing of Hieronymus Cock. In 1558 he tried himself in painting for the first time.
Pieter Brueghel the Senior married Meycken Coecke that gave birth to his sons Jan the elder one and Pieter, the younger, who should have become famous painters. In 1563 he moved to Brussels where he created his greatest works.
The iconography of the different images of villagers based on the works of Hieronymus Bosch. Brueghel took over his ability to simplify forms, with the help of which he raised the moralistic aspect.
Another leitmotif of the artist is the landscape that becomes independent since the artist made a journey to Italy. His works represent the holistic nature, not cut in pieces. The highest point of this series in his creativity was the representation of months and seasons. They are metaphors for growth and decay.
The genius's in every respect motifs were absolutely unique for their time, because Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel the Senior radically opened new paths with her paintings. Both painters hold the world in front of the mirror with irony and magical symbolism and spare anyone. Thus the vicious mockery of the painter towards the hypocrisy of the clergy, to the self-indulgence of the aristocracy and the immoral life of the people. With its cheerful exaggerations Pieter Brueghel the senior, or "Pieter de grappige" (Funny Pieter ) as he was also called, often made his contemporaries laugh.
Brueghel was a many-faceted artist. In his works you can find moralistic aspects as well the depiction of the rural life of the middle of the 16th century. His first works were collected by royal persons and nobility so the made the triumphal march through the whole Europe. His works served as examples of all the Dutch art of the following centuries.
Brueghel died a respected painter on 05.09.1569 in Brussels.
