Pieter Brueghel Essay Example

Pieter Brueghel Essay If someone were to think of one of the great Flemish painters, Pieter Brueghel might come to mind.Often referred to as Pieter Brueghel the Elder, he was the most important member of his family and a great painter in the 16th century.Pieter was born around 1525 in what is thought to be the town of Breda, which is now in The Netherlands.He went on to later be an apprentice to a leading Antwerp artist named Coecke van Aelst in 1551.Brueghel then traveled to Italy, and later lived in Antwerp for about 10 years before permanently settling down in Brussels.In 1563 he went on to marry Mayken, Coecke van Aelsts daughter.This relationship with the van Aelst family drew him to the peasant and allegorical themes that he painted. The scenes of landscapes and peasant life in Brueghels paintings are full of great detail and convey the stress and absurd kinds of lifestyles during this period of the 1500s.His paintings also portray the many weaknesses found in humans.Brueghel created his own style t hat holds special meaning.He painted many different subjects such as Biblical scenes, mythological portrayals, and social satires.Although he painted many different themes, it all falls under the school of Flemish Renaissance.Renaissance paintings are very realistic with figures in natural settings using precise detail.The renaissance style is represented in some of Brueghels very famous paintings. These include The Peasant Dance, The Wedding Feast, and The Landscape with the Fall of Iracus.In addition to his paintings Brueghel became known for the engravings that were made from his original paintings.