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Pissing at the moon

Pieter Bruegel had a thing about sayings and proverbs. And a sense of humour too. This is clear from these twelve little paintings, which together represent one of his 45 or so works.

Pieter’s son Pieter

Pieter’s two sons also become painters. Jan Bruegel went his own way and became a famous painter of landscapes, animals, flower arrangements, and so on. He also worked closely with and was a good friend of his fellow Antwerper Rubens. Pieter Bruegel the Younger, Jan’s older brother, mainly copied work by his father.

Pieter’s son Pieter

Pieter’s two sons also become painters. Jan Bruegel went his own way and became a famous painter of landscapes, animals, flower arrangements, and so on. He also worked closely with and was a good friend of his fellow Antwerper Rubens. Pieter Bruegel the Younger, Jan’s older brother, mainly copied work by his father.

Copying

Certain of Pieter Bruegel’s works remained very popular for a while after his death. Among others, his elder son Pieter copied them in his studio.

The Census at Bethlehem

The Museum Mayer van den Bergh has two popular paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder that his son liked to – and frequently did – copy: The Census at Bethlehem is one of these.

Winter Landscape

A small snowy landscape was probably Pieter Bruegel’s most popular composition. We know of more than a hundred copies of it, many of which come from his son’s studio. The copy in the Museum Mayer van den Bergh is a beautiful example.

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What is there to do?

Special activities regularly take place in the museum. Make sure you don’t miss them with our handy calendar! For groups we have lots of different tours available.

Impeccable taste. Fritz Mayer van den Bergh and his collection

For groups

Who was the man who gathered together all the objects you can see in the museum in around 1900? What did he especially like? How did he acquire all these beautiful things?