A Revolution of Light and Color

Occasionally, when something seems very familiar you lose sight of what makes it so special: Flemish Masters. From van Eyck to Bruegel sets out to counteract this effect and opens our eyes once again to the revolution that took place in the Low Countries in the 15th and 16th centuries that shaped the course of European art. In 48 lavishly illustrated analyses, Matthias Depoorter explores how painters such as Van Eyck, Van der Weiden, Massys, Bosch, and Bruegel reached unprecedented heights, and are rightfully considered innovators to this day. The defining factor was their perfecting and mastery of the oil painting technique as well as their groundbreaking attention to optical lighting effects. The new technical possibilities offered a different way of looking at the world and ultimately a new way of painting. No less innovative was the level of detail. These painters were thoroughly acquainted with each other’s work — this volume shows the fundamental artistic cross-fertilization. A must-read for anyone who wants to fall in love with the old masterpieces anew.

About the Author:

Matthias Depoorter (*1980) is a writer and an art historian. He was one of the curators of the seminal exhibition Van Eyck: An Optical Revolution at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent and coordinated the accompanying scholarly publication.

Bruegel’s Complete Paintings. An in-depth exploration of Bruegel’s painted work

Derived from the XXL monograph which saw TASCHEN undertake a comprehensive photographic survey of the artist’s oeuvre, this compact edition explores Bruegel’s 40 paintings through exceptional details and reproductions. We discover how, using his own pictorial language in scenes teeming with minutiae, Bruegel captured the theater of life.

The life and times of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/30–1569) were marked by stark cultural conflict. He witnessed religious wars, the Duke of Alba’s brutal rule as governor of the Netherlands, and the palpable effects of the Inquisition. To this day, the Flemish artist remains shrouded in mystery. We know neither where nor exactly when he was born. But while early scholarship emphasized the vernacular character of his painting and graphic work, modern research has attached greater importance to its humanistic content.

Starting out as a print designer for publisher Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel produced numerous print series that were distributed throughout Europe. These depicted vices and virtues alongside jolly peasant festivals and sweeping landscape panoramas. He then increasingly turned to painting, working for the cultural elite of Antwerp and Brussels. Rather than idealizing reality, he bravely confronted the issues of his day, addressing the horrors of religious warfare and taking a critical stand against the institution of the Church. To this end, Bruegel developed his own pictorial language of dissidence, lacing innocuous everyday scenes with subliminal statements in order to escape repercussions.

This book is derived from our XXL monograph, which saw TASCHEN undertake a comprehensive photographic survey of the artist’s oeuvre. The result boasts exceptional details and reproductions, unveiling Bruegel’s larger-than-life universe with unprecedented clarity. This volume, in celebration of our 40th anniversary, presents all 40 paintings, accompanied by enlarged details and accessible, immersive texts.

The author:

Jürgen Müller holds the chair of Early Modern and Modern Art History at the Technical University of Dresden. He studied art history at the universities of Bochum, Münster, Pisa, Paris and Amsterdam, and has worked as an art critic and curated numerous exhibitions. He is also the editor of TASCHEN’s movies by decade series.

About the series:

TASCHEN is 40! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible publishing, helping bookworms around the world curate their own library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia at an unbeatable price. Today we celebrate 40 years of incredible books by staying true to our company credo. The 40 series presents new editions of some of the stars of our program — now more compact, friendly in price, and still realized with the same commitment to impeccable production.

A major monograph on the artist widely regarded as the 16th century's greatest Netherlandish painter, published to mark the anniversary of his death 450 years ago

Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his work have attained a legendary status in our collective consciousness. The most important Netherlandish painter and draughtsman of the 16th century had already achieved great fame during his own lifetime, but was largely forgotten until his rediscovery by art historians in the early 20th century. Just over forty paintings by Bruegel’s own hand survive. His complex, multi-layered compositions, which draw on the earlier pictorial traditions of Hieronymus Bosch, are often moralizing, and teem with characters. The variety of subjects and their originality of execution inspire wonder to this day.

Published to accompany the major exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, this spectacular catalogue allows readers to immerse themselves in the immensely rich pictorial world of the Netherlandish master. In uniting the artist’s works in different media – paintings, drawings and prints – it highlights his perfect handling and execution, his virtuoso use of colour and his draughtsmanship. The book is complemented by an e-book featuring five further essays by the curators, who present the fruits of recent research on the artist’s materials and techniques.

Bruegel’s inventions and stories create artworks with a timeless power, and this volume, presenting a full survey of the artist’s entire oeuvre, will be an indispensable resource for Bruegel fans and scholars alike.

About the Authors:

Manfred Sellink is the director of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, and is the author of Bruegel: The Complete Paintings, Drawings and Prints.

Ron Spronk is a professor (by special appointment) specializing in Hieronymus Bosch and Early Dutch painting at Radboud University.

Sabine Pénot is Curator of Netherlandish and Dutch Paintings, Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) at Vienna, Austria.

Elke Oberthaler is Head of Painting Conservation at Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) at Vienna, Austria.

Contents List:

Foreword by Geert Bourgeois • Preface by Sabine Haag • Introduction to the exhibition by Elke Oberthaler, Sabine Pénot, Manfred Sellink and Ron Spronk, with Alice Hoppe-Harnoncourt • Short Biography of Pieter Bruegel the Elder • Cat. nos. 1 to 87 • Separate E-book featuring five essays

This fascinating full-length study examines all works by the great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel within the wider setting of art during his lifetime.

The recent rediscovery in Spain of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s lost painting, The Wine of Saint Martin’s Day, has created even more interest in this much-loved artist, who was one of the Netherlands’ two great masters of satire and fantasy, along with Hieronymus Bosch. Although these two artists never met each other - Bruegel was born around 1525, a decade after Bosch’s death - numerous features link them; indeed, Bruegel painted several demon-infested hellscapes directly inspired by the older master, and he was known in Antwerp as a “second Bosch.” But Bruegel is most famous for his peasant scenes, often humorous and packed with anecdote, and for his landscapes, which poignantly evoke Nature’s changing seasons. His legacy to Netherlandish art was the enduring popularity of both these genres, as well as the artistic dynasty he founded, beginning with his painter sons Pieter the Younger and Jan Brueghel.

Critics have often remarked how Bruegel’s art, so keenly observed and richly detailed, seems to preserve a world in miniature. In this new monograph, Larry Silver, an eminent historian of Northern Renaissance art, serves as our guide to that world. He leads us expertly through Bruegel’s complex and fascinating iconography, allowing us to see his paintings and drawings from the same perspective as his sixteenth-century countrymen. Silver situates Bruegel within the visual culture of his time - exploring, for example, his relationship with the print publisher Hieronymus Cock - and within the broader context of Netherlandish history. All of Bruegel’s surviving paintings are reproduced here, with many full-page details, as well as all of his prints and representative works by his contemporaries and followers.

This volume on Bruegel complements Silver’s widely praised monograph on Hieronymus Bosch, which was published by Abbeville Press in 2006. These two books are the most authoritative and best-illustrated studies of their respective subjects, and together they present us with a panorama of Netherlandish art’s emergence into the distinctive form of the Northern Renaissance.

About the Author:

Larry Silver, a historian of Northern Renaissance art, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and is currently Farquhar Professor of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania. His other books include the general survey Art in History and the recent Landscapes and Peasant Scenes: The Rise of Pictorial Genres in the Antwerp Art Market.

A compact, affordable, portable edition of the perfect companion for the Bruegel year of 2019: an introduction to the famous painter through stunning close-up details.

Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569), known for his beautiful landscapes and peasant scenes, is among the most popular artists in the history of Netherlandish painting. Reproducing all of Bruegel’s best-known paintings, drawings and prints, this book reveals them as never before, in stunning large close-up details that showcase his mastery. Organized by his major themes – landscapes, daily life, biblical subjects and festive celebrations – it offers astonishing views of popular works of art such as Hunters in the Snow, Peasant Wedding, and The Tower of Babel. The printings and drawings section includes his series on Sins and Virtues. Bruegel expert Manfred Sellink reveals how the painter introduced new subject matter into fine art and examines his use of landscape, perhaps the artist’s greatest innovation.

__________

Pieter Bruegel invites us to study and to admire his work down to the tiniest element. He was a trained and experienced miniaturist, draughtsman and print designer: skills that combined with his brilliant painting technique enable us to read every image and every detail. Bruegel created a world of unprecedented visual richness: it is impossible to take in everything at once, as there is so much to see. Even experts who have studied his work for years are continually surprised by new discoveries. Alongside this rich viewing experience, Bruegel always offers layers of visual and intellectual meaning, expressed most clearly in the details. Not to forget the equally characteristic dollop of humour we find in the subtle and ironic way he approaches his fellow human beings and their universal and timeless foibles. Bruegel in Detail homes in on the extraordinary visual, technical and intellectual wealth of this master’s work. Every detail in Bruegel is packed with significance and relevance.

The perfect companion for the Bruegel year of 2019: an introduction to the famous painter through stunning large close-up details in a beautiful coffee table book.

Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569), known for his beautiful landscapes and peasant scenes, is among the most popular artists in the history of Netherlandish painting. Reproducing all of Bruegel’s best-known paintings, drawings and prints, this book reveals them as never before, in stunning large close-up details that showcase his mastery. Organized by his major themes – landscapes, daily life, biblical subjects and festive celebrations – it offers astonishing views of popular works of art such as Hunters in the Snow, Peasant Wedding and The Tower of Babel. The printings and drawings section includes his series on Sins and Virtues. Bruegel expert Manfred Sellink reveals how the painter introduced new subject matter into fine art and examines his use of landscape, perhaps the artist’s greatest innovation.

Pieter Bruegel invites us to study and to admire his work down to the tiniest element. He was a trained and experienced miniaturist, draughtsman and print designer: skills that combined with his brilliant painting technique enable us to read every image and every detail. Bruegel created a world of unprecedented visual richness: it is impossible to take in everything at once, as there is so much to see. Even experts who have studied his work for years are continually surprised by new discoveries. Alongside this rich viewing experience, Bruegel always offers layers of visual and intellectual meaning, expressed most clearly in the details. Not to forget the equally characteristic dollop of humour we find in the subtle and ironic way he approaches his fellow human beings and their universal and timeless foibles. Bruegel in Detail homes in on the extraordinary visual, technical and intellectual wealth of this master’s work. Every detail in Bruegel is packed with significance and relevance.
 

The sense of a scene. Pieter Bruegel's mastery of composition and community

The great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1526/31 - 1569)was an astoundingly inventive painter and draftsman, who made his art historical mark with beautiful, evocative landscapes as well as religious subjects, both notable for their vernacular language and attention to everyday, contemporary life.

Immersing himself in rural or small-town communities, Bruegel is particularly notable for his depiction of peasant experience and folk culture, earning the artist nickname Peasant Bruegel. Whether hunters shivering in the snow or a boisterous country fair, Bruegel raised the farming, festivals, gatherings, and games of peasant culture to the status of high art. Bruegel s imposing religious and moral subjects, meanwhile, such as The Triumph of Death and The Tower of Babel are as awestriking and influential today as they were in the 16th century, inspiring contemporary culture from The Lord of the Rings cinematic battle scenes to Don DeLillo s novel Underworld. 

From the corn harvest to the conversion of Saul, from quaint wedding processions to Christ s road to Calvary, this book brings together the rich range of Bruegel's subjects to introduce his powerful compositions of both biblical and earthly tableaux. 

About the series:

Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Art series features:

- a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
- a concise biography
- approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

The Complete Bruegel. New photography of the Dutch master’s works in XXL resolution
Sense of a Scene. Pieter Bruegel’s mastery of composition and community

Discover the complete works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the most significant artist of Dutch Renaissance painting. Marking the 450thanniversary of his death and his first-ever monographic exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, this XXL monograph gathers all 39 paintings, 65 drawings, and 89 etchings — each piece a unique witness to both the religious mores and the close-knit folk culture of Bruegel’s time.

The life and times of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569) were marked by stark cultural conflict. He witnessed religious wars, the Duke of Alba’s brutal rule as governor of the Netherlands, and the palpable effects of the Inquisition. To this day, the Flemish artist remains shrouded in mystery. We know neither where nor exactly when he was born. But while early scholarship emphasized the vernacular character of his painting and graphic work, modern research has attached greater importance to its humanistic content.

Starting out as a print designer for publisher Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel produced numerous print series that were distributed throughout Europe. These depicted vices and virtues alongside jolly peasant festivals and sweeping landscape panoramas. He would eventually increasingly turn to painting, working for the cultural elite of Antwerp and Brussels.

This monograph is a testament to Bruegel’s enlightenment as an artist, one who bravely confronted the issues of his day all the while proposing new inventions and solutions. Rather than idealizing reality, he addressed the horrors of religious warfare and took a critical stand against the Catholic Church. To this end, he developed his own pictorial language of dissidence, lacing innocuous everyday scenes with subliminal statements in order to escape repercussions.

This XXL-sized collection gathers all 39 paintings, 65 drawings, and 89 etchings, each piece a unique witness to both the religious mores and the close-knit folk culture of Bruegel’s time. We discover how, in spite of his early death, Bruegel’s work revealed a development against the tide of the Italian Renaissance. Surviving satirical verses and critical motifs illustrate the divide with his Rome-oriented fellow artists, admirers of Michelangelo and Raphael.

Marking the 450th anniversary of his death and his first-ever monographic exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, this monograph is the most immersive journey into Bruegel’s unique visual universe.

About the Authors:

Jürgen Müller has worked as an art critic, a curator, and a visiting professor at various universities, and has published extensively on cinema and art history. Currently, he holds the chair for art history at the University of Dresden. Müller is the editor for TASCHEN’s movies by decade series.

Thomas Schauerte manages the Albrecht Dürer House, the City Museum, and the art collections at the Museums of the City of Nuremberg. He is a graphic design specialist and teaches at the universities of Erlangen and Regensburg.

An eye on the everyday. Bruegel's account of his society and times

At a time when artists were still primarily occupied with religious or mythological subject matter, the great Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel (c. 1525-1569) turned his eye on the everyday.

Most of Bruegel’s 45 surviving works, which are all reproduced in this book, record the facts of 16th-century life in rural or small-town communities. In this title in the Basic Art Series, Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen outline the Bruegel’s account of his society and times, and the relevance that account has for us today.

About the Series:

Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art Series features:

• a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance
• a concise biography
• approximately 100 colour illustrations with explanatory captions

The authors:
Rose-Marie Hagen was born in Switzerland and studied history, Romance languages and literature in Lausanne. After further studies in Paris and Florence, she lectured at the American University in Washington D.C.

Rainer Hagen was born in Hamburg and graduated in literature and theatre studies in Munich. He later worked for radio and TV, most recently as chief editor of a German public broadcasting service. Together they have produced 15 episodes of the TV series History In Pictures, and collaborated on several TASCHEN titles, including What Great Paintings Say I & II, and Francisco de Goya.

A presentation of highlights from the collection of Maida and George Abrams, a private collection of Dutch 17th-century drawings.

The works range from studies by renowned masters - including Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacob van Ruisdael, Jacques de Gheyn II, Hendrick Goltzius and Hendrick Avercamp - to drawings by lesser-known draftsmen whose contributions are essential to understanding the art of the period. The volume features seven drawings by Rembrandt, a diverse group by his pupils, a comprehensive survey of Dutch landscape drawing, and figure studies and scenes of daily life by genre artists such as Willem Buytewech and Adriaen van Ostade.

The works are explicated in William Robinson's detailed catalogue entries and in two essays: George Abrams reflects on acquisitions for his collection; and Martin Royalton-Kisch examines the Abrams' holdings within the tradition of specialized collections of Dutch drawings in England, France and America.

An affordable compact edition of the major monograph that offers new insights into the life and work of this astonishing creative genius.

Often Bruegels subjects are traditional: stories from the Bible and mythology, scenes of country life, and cycles of the seasons. But among the multitude of people within them are mysterious figures, enigmatic incidents, and demonic faces. The meaning of these remarkable paintings continues to intrigue us today, more than four centuries after the artist's death. An art historian and a painting conservator and restorer, each of the authors bring their special expertise to bear on the many questions that still remain about Bruegel's life and his intellectual outlook.

Richly illustrated, this important book reveals much new information about one of the most intriguing figures of Renaissance art. Extensive notes, a chronology, bibliography, and a list of Bruegel's exhibitions and catalogues complete the work. It will be an indispensable addition to the libraries of scholars, students, and the many lovers of Bruegel's paintings.

Книга о самом крупном фламандском художнике XVI века Питере Брейгеле Старшем (ок. 1525 –1569), прозванном Мужицким.

Источники, проливающие свет на его жизнь, крайне немногочисленны, хотя творчество его достаточно хорошо известно; картины, гравюры, рисунки часто подписаны и датированы. Брейгель стал известен еще при жизни, знатные люди коллекционировали его картины. В последующие столетия Брейгель был забыт. Его картины не находили отклика у потомков, эстетические ценности которых складывались под влиянием культа святых, героев и сильных мира сего, буржуазных вкусов или романтического отношения к природе. В ХХ веке интерес к художнику вспыхнул вновь. После увлечения импрессионизмом, экспрессионизмом, кубизмом зрители по достоинству оценили шедевры Высокого и Северного Возрождения, особенно великих голландцев, с их красотой пейзажей и достоинством простого человека. Книга состоит из девяти глав, рассказывающих о художнике и о каждой картине, представленной в издании. Каждая иллюстрация имеет аннотацию.

В конце книги приводится хронология жизни и творчества мастера, а также избранная библиография трудов о Брейгеле Старшем, вышедших во всем мире.