Welcome to the Desert of the Real: The Art of Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Jul 21, 2024

(Possibly Bruegel's self-portrait, c. 1565)

Some of the life stories of painters are as famous and well-known as their art itself. One example that comes to mind is Vincent Van Gogh, who never sold more than a single painting, had a troubled relationship with his brother Theo, cut off his own ear, and tragically committed suicide. An earlier example would be Michelangelo, who suffered from severe perfectionism, had conflicts with his patron, Pope Julius II, and faced ambiguity regarding his sexuality. However, when we approach the art of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, one of the most influential painters in history, we have very little to work with other than his relatively limited number of surviving paintings. The details of his life remain ambiguous, with much of what we know coming from a few later sources and the rich, intricate works he left behind.

Yet, it is undeniable that without the lasting influence of Bruegel, we wouldn’t have had the rich world that was the Dutch Golden Age of painting. We wouldn’t have had Vermeer, Rembrandt, or Hals. Bruegel’s pioneering focus on contemporary life, with his vivid and detailed depictions of peasants and village scenes, laid the groundwork for these later masters. He was the artist who brought art down to earth, emphasizing the real world over idealized and otherworldly subjects. If we want to understand any great artist who followed him, we must understand Bruegel.

So let us dive deeper, into some of his most influential works, and decipher what those attributes, made his art so important and influential.

The Desert of the Real

(The Harvesters, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565)

In contrast to Bruegel’s contemporaries, whose paintings primarily focused on mythological, historical, or biblical scenes, he focused on capturing seasonal change, nature, and the present day-to-day. His Months of the Year cycle series of paintings illustrates this point. In “The Harvesters,” we observe a scene of wheat harvesting in the scorching, summer months. The composition is dominated by yellow, the colour of the wheat, but also the colour of the blazing sun. The figure in the centre, who lies beneath the shade of the tree, eloquently captures the high temperature. One other indication of the heat is the middle harvester on the left side of the picture, whose sleeves are folded. Not only does the blazing yellow exist within the wheat, but the people themselves are yellow, the tree in the centre, the houses in the nearby village, the pot from which one of the villagers are shown drinking, the bowls, the fruit, and the picnic basket; there is yellow all around the composition, generating a potent sense of heat.

(Venus and Adonis, Titian, 1554)

If we were to contrast this scene with a more traditional High Renaissance painting like “Venus and Adonis” by Titian, who was a contemporary of Bruegel, we can examine the difference in subject choice. Here, we are dealing with a depiction of idealized Greek gods; it’s about love and desire, tragedy and loss, and the human vs. the divine. With his depictions of village life, Bruegel brings art down to earth. He conveys the current human condition, the hard labour, but also the tranquil moment of rest below the tree, and the life surrounding it.

Even before Bruegel, the Renaissance era was more focused on earthly themes than the medieval period that preceded it. The idealized gods and humanistic values of the Italian Renaissance were more secular and this-worldly. Bruegel's work does not depart from this trend but continues it. He takes it further by emphasising everyday life's tangible realities.

SPOILERS S1] Welcome to the desert of the real : r/1899

To draw a modern parallel, think of the movie "The Matrix," where individuals live in a simulated "ideal world." In the movie, the journey to the "desert of the real" is depicted as a desirable choice, despite its harshness, because it represents the pursuit of truth and justice. Bruegel's art, similarly, offers a departure from this idealized realm by presenting the "desert of the real" – a less idyllic but authentic landscape. His paintings depict villages' bustling and genuine life, emphasizing the importance of real, tangible experiences over idealised depictions. This pursuit of reality, no matter how unpleasant it may or may not be, is one thing that makes Bruegel’s work compelling and honest.

While the Renaissance was a period of secularization, artists still used religious and mythological imagery to convey earthly values, as seen in “Venus and Adonis.” Bruegel took this a step further, creating some of the first purely secular paintings, with “The Harvesters” serving as a prime example.

(The Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565)

Arguably one of Bruegel’s most iconic paintings, “The Hunter in the Snow,” features a scene from the villagers' lives, this time set in the winter. In this scene, notice here how the colour white replaces yellow's role in “The Harvesters.”. Instead of intense heat, one feels the bone-chilling cold. This distance between the painter and the subjects reflects Bruegel’s intellectual approach to his scenes. By positioning himself—and us, the viewers—as outsiders, Bruegel invites us to objectively observe and contemplate the reality of village life without becoming emotionally entangled. This motif of viewing from a detached perspective is recurring in many of Bruegel’s works. Sometimes, he captures the villagers' lives in a more positive, elevated light, while at other times, he makes fun of them. These different facets highlight the complexities and nuances of the reality Bruegel observed.

The crows on the top part of the composition contrast with the lively nature of the scene below. They remind us of the dangers of winter, which back then were very serious. While those villagers might appear to be having fun with their ice skating, they were able to do that thanks to the hunters who just came back with fresh meat and the women who eventually cooked it. There’s an intricate survival balance that can very easily be overturned, should the hunt go unsuccessfully. Perhaps that’s why the painting is named after the hunters. The crows and the dead tree which they inhabit, really bring forward that “Welcome to the desert of the real” perspective, which Bruegel mastered here so originally, and masterfully.

Chaos

When I told a friend of mine that I was writing an article about Bruegel, he asked me, “Is that the painter who painted huge scenes filled with many small details?”—Yes. And this is a crucial aspect of Bruegel’s art—it’s fun. There are many hidden details, Easter eggs, and references that are always enjoyable to discover.

(Netherlandish Proverbs, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1559)

Bruegel not only portrayed the lives of peasants realistically but also enjoyed infusing humour by mocking and exaggerating many aspects of his compositions. He demonstrated incredible talent in painting hidden details while exploring various facets of peasant life, often using them as allegorical devices to represent different ideas, as seen in "Netherlandish Proverbs." This painting is filled with visual representations of over 100 proverbs and idioms, which Bruegel uses to critique societal norms and human folly.

My favourite idiom:

“To bang one's head against a brick wall.” This is a wonderful concretisation of the immorality of any attempt to evade reality (Check out a full breakdown of all the idioms here.)

Bruegel's use of humour and allegory serves a dual purpose: it entertains the viewer while providing sharp social commentary. By embedding these proverbs within a lively village scene, Bruegel invites viewers to reflect on the absurdities and truths of human behaviour, making his work not just visually engaging but also intellectually stimulating.

Bruegel's paintings are entirely self-contained universes. They take time to comprehend and appreciate fully. One must zoom in as much as possible to appreciate all the little details hidden in these old masterpieces. Let us take another, more hellish example.

(The Fall of the Rebel Angels, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1562)

In addition to exploring secular themes, Bruegel also delved into religious subject matter. In one of his notable works, he masterfully illustrates the tumultuous battle between the archangel Michael and the loyal angels against Lucifer and the rebel angels who were cast out of heaven. The painting captures the cosmic struggle between good and evil, showcasing Bruegel's remarkable talent for portraying complex and significant narratives. Notice, that even here, when the subject matter is more of a traditional Renaissance type of subject, Bruegel still delivers his unique style. Every time I look at this painting again, I find new details which I previously missed. It’s both chaotic and amazing how much detail Bruegel was able to fill the frame with.

(The Last Judgment, Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1482)

Of course, Bruegel had influences. He was much inspired by the great Hieronymus Bosch—specifically his triptychs, “The Last Judgment” and “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” Similar to “Rebel Angels”, these works included chaotic, detail-obsessed portrayals of the devil, hell, and its various inhabitants.

(Children’s Game, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1560)

Bruegel's "Children's Game" is a pioneering portrayal of secular European life, presenting a scene far from naturalistic. This artwork is not a depiction of a real-life scene but rather a heightened version of reality, showcasing a wide array of different games and activities witnessed by Bruegel in the village. Bruegel magnificently captures around a hundred different games played by children by abstracting away the irrelevant adults. As you observe the artwork, try spotting the Piñata among the various games.

Bruegel was well-travelled and well-educated. He had been to Rome and seen the great works of the Renaissance, but he had his own vision. He wanted to portray children playing, harvesters collecting wheat in the blazing heat of August, and hunters returning home in the snow. In that sense, Bruegel was a uniquely first-handed artist, who pushed the boundaries to achieve his own vision. Let us conclude with one of his most famous influential works.

The Peasant Wedding

(The Peasant Wedding, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1567)

As we’ve already seen, Bruegel was fascinated with the lower class's life. We’ve seen “The Harvest” and “Hunters in the Snow,” a more realistic, more traditional landscape approach to painting, where we got a wide view of life around the village. In “Proverbs”, we have examined how Bruegel used the images of the peasants to concretise some common idioms, whereas in “Children’s Game,” we have seen a more abstract concretisation of a singular facet to the peasant’s life, their children, and their various games.

When we arrive at “The Pesants Wedding,” we have a horse of a different colour. Firstly, notice that this isn’t a landscape. We are indoors. It’s a singular scene. Also, notice that much like “Hunters in the Snow,” we have the peasants back turned on us. But unlike “Hunters,” we can have intimacy with the peasants. Despite being behind the scenes, We’re not the only ones noticing the red-clad servant at the bottom of the scene. He’s also detached. Thus, thanks to the much closer distance we have from the peasants and not being the only ones left out, we are able to gain a certain connection with them.

This is a new genre of painting known as "Genre painting," which portrays ordinary people engaged in common activities, reflecting everyday life. Such art has always existed, but it has always been considered a minor form of art. Bruegel, with his original approach, which again contrasted with much of his contemporaries, has elevated genre painting as an important art genre. “The Peasant Wedding” serves as one of the prime examples of it.

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This particular painting by Bruegel is characterized by a significant amount of activity and a strong emphasis on composition. The large table in the painting forms a prominent diagonal line that directs the viewer's gaze from the entrance to the opposite side of the scene. The use of neutral colours, particularly the tan hues of the floor, walls, and the people themselves, creates an atmosphere that conveys a sense of poverty.

What stands out about the individuals depicted in the painting is their lack of conventional beauty. For instance, the bride, who is situated next to the green cloth, does not conform to the typical Renaissance standard of beauty. There is a clear portrayal of ill-mannered behaviour evident through their eating and drinking habits. Most notably, the lack of direct eye contact among the individuals in the painting suggests a sense of disconnect and disinterest in one another. The bride, in particular, is depicted with her eyes closed, potentially symbolizing her aversion to the common people portrayed in the scene.

These individuals are not idealized; instead, they are depicted as real, messy people living their everyday lives as they were. Bruegel found this aspect of reality fascinating, especially in contrast to the more idealized depictions found in high-renaissance paintings. This departure from traditional artistic representations offers a refreshing, albeit less flattering, portrayal of reality, prompting viewers to contemplate the raw and unembellished nature of the human experience.

The indoor genre life scenes created by Bruegel provide us with a deep insight into the artist's versatility. Not only did Bruegel skillfully capture biblical scenes and landscapes, but he also depicted the changing seasons and a myriad of children's games. His art was imbued with a sense of humour and a raw, unrefined quality that offered a fresh perspective on life. Whether or not one appreciates the portrayal of peasants in his work, it is undeniable that Bruegel was a remarkable innovator and a master painter capable of capturing an astonishing level of detail.

Bruegel's art challenged the prevailing notions of greatness in the art world by demonstrating that art did not have to be limited to the depiction of mythological stories. Additionally, he made a significant impact by shifting the focus away from religious themes in art to the extent possible in the 16th century and beyond. These are aspects of Bruegel's legacy that cannot be disregarded. Moreover, Bruegel's influence on subsequent masters, such as Vermeer, is undeniable, as evidenced by the development of Vermeer's genre art, which was arguably influenced by Bruegel's pioneering work.

Now, go to Google Arts and start zooming in. There are so many hidden treasures to uncover in Bruegel’s universe. There’s so much for you to uncover.

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