In 1551, Pieter was accepted as a master in the painter’s guild. Bruegel’s art is often seen as the last phase in the development of a long tradition of Netherlandish painting. As against the muscular nudes and idealized scenes of the Renaissance period, Bruegel’s art portrays more of figures observed from nature, acting out realistic situations in believable contemporary settings. Rightly known as a ‘Master of Landscapes’, this is where Bruegel found his greatest inspirations. It was in these landscapes that Bruegel created a story, with almost several scenes seemingly combined in one painting.
Unlike most other painters of that time, Pieter Bruegel hardly produced any self-portraits, being disinclined to glorify his own person. However, there are instances when one may find a bearded figure occupying an unassuming posture at the edge of a picture, a figure often thought to be the painter himself. One of these is the pen-and-Indian-Ink drawing, “The Painter and the Patron” often known as “The Painter and the Connoisseur”. Finally on 9th September, 1569, Pieter Bruegel saw the last of his life.
Some of Bruegel’s famous paintings include:
- Landscape with the fall of Icarus
- The tower of Babel
- Winter landscape with a bird trap
- Dulle Griet (Mad Meg)
- The peasant wedding
- Children’s game
- The fight between Carnival and Lent
- Netherlandish proverbs
- Hunters in the snow
