The inclusion of insects in floral still lifes gave them a powerful sense of reality and lifelikeness. Here Brueghel also included a frog and an object that may be an egg or possibly a bezoar, a concretion found in the intestines of certain animals which was believed to have curative powers.
A group of travelers stop to rest, sitting together in the road. One of them speaks to a muleskinner, who leads a caravan of loaded mules. A very broad landscape unfolds on the left. In this painting, Brueghel offers one of his views with figures, but without any defined plot. He reveals his debt to the landscape ideas of Joost de Romper (1568-1625) by placing the figures at a bend in the road and
Tres rosas y cinco tulipanes se combinan con florecillas de Narcissus tazetta y Myosotis scorpioides; una coccinela, una mariposa, un insecto y un gusano dan vida a este conjunto que repite, con variantes, los originales de Brueghel de Velours en las colecciones R. Green de Londres, Wingfield castle, y colección Turkow de la Haya. El gusano, los capullos, crisálidas y mariposas que, recién nacida
Two nymphs and numerous cupids hold a garland that frames a medallion where an offering to Ceres is depicted. The goddess of the Earth and of agriculture is shown being crowned by Spring while allegorical figures of the other seasons offer her their fruits. The cupids hold objects alluding to the signs of the Zodiac. Thus, the passage of time and the Earth´s life cycles are emphasized. This work i
A plate with corners resting on a blue cloth bears roses and other flowers. This late work shows the clear influence of Daniel Seghers.
Mary holds the Christ Child in one arm, holding one of his feet with the other. Behind them, two angels look on. One looks at the viewer in a request for silence and reflection upon the image. The scene is framed by an abundant garland of flowers. This work is the result of a collaboration between Jan Brueghel, who made one of his most exuberant floral works, and Giulio Cesare Procaccini. It was p
Highwaymen seem to have stopped a wagon with travelers in the midst of a barren landscape. More wagons and travelers on foot appear along the trail in the background. This work is difficult to interpret. It may just as well represent a violent assault as a simple everyday scene in a landscape. At any rate, it shows how Brueghel composed this sort of scene on the basis of various planes that reach
Jan Brueghel el Viejo fue uno de los creadores de la pintura de gabinete, que comienza a consolidarse como tal en el siglo XVII. Magnífico pintor de paisajes, se especializó también en la representación de naturalezas muertas, de bodegones y de floreros. Esta pequeña tabla es una muestra de su habilidad como artista al conseguir, con apenas unos toques de blanco, la transparencia del jarrón de cri