This accompanying publication will explore the development and diversity of this legendary dynasty of Flemish painters over four generations and 150 years. From the proverb pictures and peasant festivals of Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his eldest son Pieter Brueghel the Younger to the exquisite flower pieces of Jan 'Velvet' Brueghel and the captivating cabinet paintings of Jan van Kessel, the book will unravel the mysteries of the dynasty, and will explore how Bruegel's sons were able to emulate their father's model despite having no access to his paintings. The book will turn the spotlight on to the major Bruegel holdings in UK collections for the first time, telling the story of the dynasty through masterpieces from British public collections and a number of previously unseen works from private collections.
This stunning book presents the very best still lifes produced in the Netherlands at the height of the genre, from the early beginnings in the 16th century, with Pieter Aertsen and Joachim Beuckelaer, to the late highlights in the 18th century, with Rachel Ruysch and Jan van Huysum. Despite the popularity and abundance of flower paintings in modern collections, the book includes a wide range of subjects and styles, from the simple to the complex, the charmingly small to the opulent and extravagant, and from flowers to hunting still lifes or objects in the corner of a painter's studio, along with an occasional trompe l'oeil. The visual delights of still-life painting have a strong historical context. Collectors and connoisseurs purchased them because of their realism, visual appeal, and relevance to their own lives. Poets praised the wonders of still-life paintings and evoked the power of painting to transcend the seasons and the passing of time. Contemporary observers lauded the expensive and elaborate objects often on display. The book therefore considers the visual achievement of the Netherlandish still life painters in the context of contemporary reactions to pictures, art theory, and issues of patronage. Numerous artists were tempted to try their hand at still life, drawn by a new and enchanting genre that allowed an artist to create independent worlds of inanimate objects on the flat surface of a picture -- imaginary realms that had an exceptional following among connoisseurs of the time. These images continue to work their magic on present-day art lovers.