Pieter Bruegel

Larry Silver

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 the great Flemish painter and his work. 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. All of Bruegel's drawings, prints, and paintings on both canvas and panel - including the new Madrid canvas - 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...