Pieter Bruegel the Younger was named as the eldest son after his famous father, the Flemish landscape painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Bruegel the Younger became famous on the one hand through the numerous copies of his father's works, and on the other hand through his own rustic and religious paintings. These also earned him the nickname Höllen Bruegel. For many of the works assigned to him showed depictions of hell and Hades. As it should later turn out, however, this was wrongly done, as the works were by his younger brother Jan Bruegel the Elder. The numerous paintings of rustic scenes and peasant motifs also earned him the nickname of Farmer Bruegel. This name was indeed more appropriate, as many of his works were genre and landscape paintings showing peasant scenes.
At the age of five years Pieter Bruegel the younger lost his father. Finally nine years later his mother also died. Bruegel and his two younger siblings Jan and Marie moved to their maternal grandmother Mayken Verhulst. She was, like her late husband Pieter Coecke van Aelst, a respected artist of her time. She was probably also the first person to teach the two brothers to paint. Later they moved to Antwerp, where Bruegel first joined the workshop of the landscape painter Gillis van Coninxloo as a student. He stayed there for about seven years until van Coninxloo left Antwerp. In the same year, at the age of 21, Bruegel himself was accepted into the Antwerp Guild. This meant that he was officially recognised as an independent master painter. He opened his own workshop shortly afterwards and had at least nine students during his career. Among them were Frans Snyders, Gonzales Coques and Andries Danielsz.
In his gallery, Bruegel the Younger concentrated mainly on making inexpensive copies of his father's works. The demand was great and he received many commissions even beyond the borders of the country. In this way he contributed significantly to the international fame of his father's works. In artist circles Bruegel the Younger was just as highly regarded. Anthony van Dyck painted a portrait of him and Peter Paul Rubens is said to have bought a painting of him. Nevertheless, Bruegel the Younger often had to struggle with financial shortages. Today it is assumed that these were due to his alcoholism. Bruegel the Younger married Elizabeth Goddelet at the age of 24. The couple had a total of seven children, most of whom, however, died during childhood. One of his sons, Pieter Bruegel III, also became a painter and was also one of his students. Bruegel probably died at the age of about 72 years, shortly after his wife Elizabeth also died.
Pieter Bruegel the Younger was named as the eldest son after his famous father, the Flemish landscape painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Bruegel the Younger became famous on the one hand through the numerous copies of his father's works, and on the other hand through his own rustic and religious paintings. These also earned him the nickname Höllen Bruegel. For many of the works assigned to him showed depictions of hell and Hades. As it should later turn out, however, this was wrongly done, as the works were by his younger brother Jan Bruegel the Elder. The numerous paintings of rustic scenes and peasant motifs also earned him the nickname of Farmer Bruegel. This name was indeed more appropriate, as many of his works were genre and landscape paintings showing peasant scenes.
At the age of five years Pieter Bruegel the younger lost his father. Finally nine years later his mother also died. Bruegel and his two younger siblings Jan and Marie moved to their maternal grandmother Mayken Verhulst. She was, like her late husband Pieter Coecke van Aelst, a respected artist of her time. She was probably also the first person to teach the two brothers to paint. Later they moved to Antwerp, where Bruegel first joined the workshop of the landscape painter Gillis van Coninxloo as a student. He stayed there for about seven years until van Coninxloo left Antwerp. In the same year, at the age of 21, Bruegel himself was accepted into the Antwerp Guild. This meant that he was officially recognised as an independent master painter. He opened his own workshop shortly afterwards and had at least nine students during his career. Among them were Frans Snyders, Gonzales Coques and Andries Danielsz.
In his gallery, Bruegel the Younger concentrated mainly on making inexpensive copies of his father's works. The demand was great and he received many commissions even beyond the borders of the country. In this way he contributed significantly to the international fame of his father's works. In artist circles Bruegel the Younger was just as highly regarded. Anthony van Dyck painted a portrait of him and Peter Paul Rubens is said to have bought a painting of him. Nevertheless, Bruegel the Younger often had to struggle with financial shortages. Today it is assumed that these were due to his alcoholism. Bruegel the Younger married Elizabeth Goddelet at the age of 24. The couple had a total of seven children, most of whom, however, died during childhood. One of his sons, Pieter Bruegel III, also became a painter and was also one of his students. Bruegel probably died at the age of about 72 years, shortly after his wife Elizabeth also died.
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