Jan Brueghel the Elder was born in 1568 in Brussels, Belgium
He spent most of his life in Antwerp, Belgium, nearing the end of his life.
He had no formal education, but was trained by people like his grandmother and other artists he met in his lifetime.
Brueghel moved around a lot throughout his life, travelling around Europe, being trained and establishing a name for himself through his art.
Brueghel was most famously known for his paintings, capturing beautiful landscapes and floral still lifes.
Some of his works include “The Five Senses,” “The Entry of the Animals into Noah’s Ark,” and “The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting a Collector's Cabinet.”
His patrons include Cardinal Ascanio Colonna and Cardinal Federigo Borromeo
In many of his works, Brueghel mainly focused on naturalism and the natural beauty of the world. These works captured many landscape and floral still lifes. Much of Brueghel's collection also include the renaissance ideal of perspectivism, which uses linear perspective to achieve depth and realism.
The View of the Château de Mariemont
Created in 1612
Located in the Musee Des Beaux-arts in Dijon, France
Brueghel’s special attention to detail made this piece particularly significant. In this piece, he also uses the relatively new art technique of linear perspective to convey the illusion of depth.
Naturalism is most closely linked to this piece because it demonstrates the natural beauty of his surroundings and the landscape.
I find it interesting how Brueghel uses more subtle earth tones to convey a very vivid picture. The model landscape and his use of colors, mediums, and techniques combine to create a very beautiful scene. He also brings it to life using linear perspective to make the painting appear more realistic and add depth.
Works Cited
Brueghel, Jan. View of the Château de Mariemont. 1612, oil on canvas, Musée des beaux-arts de Dijon, France.
Brueghel, Jan. Village Fair in Schelle. 1614, oil on oak, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Austria.
"Brueghel the Elder, Jan." Artist Info. National Gallery of Art, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
The Editiors of Encyclopedia Britannica. "Jan Bruegel the Elder." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.