Painterly dynasties such as the Brueghels are among the most fascinating phenomena in European art history. The traditional German biographical dictionary of artists “Thieme-Becker” lists as many as twelve representatives of this family of painters.
Brueghels galore
A substantial number of works by members of the Brueghel family will figure in the upcoming Old Master Paintings sale.
As very special highlight by the hand of one of the most prominent family members, Jan Brueghel the Elder, a superb small painting on copper (lot 35) will be among those offered for sale: a river landscape in which atmospheric perspective has been used to create the illusion of depth and which is populated by tiny figures describing contemporary everyday life. It is a wonderful painting that exactly corresponds with what one expects from a work by Jan Brueghel the Elder. Jan Brueghel was born in Antwerp in 1568 the second son of the so-called “Peasant Brueghel”. He died in 1625 and is known today as Jan Brueghel the Elder, so that it is possible for us to differentiate between him and his son of the same name. Due to his preference for precious textiles he has been nicknamed “Velvet Brueghel”. He was one of the most successful artists of his time and a close friend of Peter Paul Rubens, with whom he collaborated repeatedly. Jan Brueghel the Elder painted not only landscapes, to which the figures were mostly contributed by other artists, but also flower still lifes, genre scenes, and history paintings. His contemporaries soon recognised his works as small treasures and admired them because of their jewel-like brilliance and shining colours. The Prado in Madrid owns as many as 54 of the best paintings by the “Velvet Brueghel”. His works can also be found in the Dresden Picture Gallery and in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
His son, Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601–1678), is the author of a paradisiacal landscape (lot 63) – a river scene populated by countless animals living on land, in the water, and in the air.
Abraham Brueghel (1631–1697), a son of Jan Brueghel the Younger, travelled to Italy when he was only 18 years old. Initially he settled in Rome and later moved to Naples. He specialised in decorative still lifes of flowers and fruit for which he harked back to the works by his father and Daniel Seghers. Later on he was increasingly influenced by such Neapolitan still life painters as Paolo Porpora.
A typical still life by Jan Brueghel the Younger (lot 14) shows flowers in a basket next to an arrangement of even more flowers in a bowl. The sale also presents a large still life of fruit by Abraham Brueghel (lot 49), to which the figure of a lady was added by Guillaume Courtois, Brueghel’s friend.
It is also interesting to follow the in-law relationships between the Brueghels and other contemporary families of artists. For instance, Anna Brueghel, a daughter of Jan Brueghel the Elder, married David Teniers II (1610–1690), one of the most famous Flemish painters of his time, in 1637. Her half-sister, Paschasia, had married Hieronymus van Kessel (1578–after 1636), a history painter and portraitist, in 1624. Their son, Jan van Kessel the Elder (1626–1679), in turn became a highly recognised still life painter who was clearly inspired by his grandfather’s delicate painting style. It is fascinating to trace how Pieter Brueghel’s artistic genes were passed on among his numerous descendants.
Old Master Paintings
20 October 2015, 5 pm
Public Viewing: 10 to 20 October 2015
Palais Dorotheum
For information about the works by the Brueghel family and the other objects offered for sale, please refer to the online catalogue.
