Jan Brueghel the Elder A Magnificent Draughtsman

Exhibition 5 October 2019 – 26 January 2020

Antwerp, Snijders&Rockox House

www.snijdersrockoxhuis.be/en

Anthony van Dyck Portrait of Jan Brueghel etching, ca. 1645 (Icones, , Gillis Hendrickx, s.d.) Private Collection

Jan Brueghel (, 1568–Antwerp, 1625) was the son of . He was orphaned at a young age. His grandmother, , a famous watercolourist, took charge of Jan’s education and that of his older brother Pieter. She also sent the boys to Antwerp for further instruction in oil .

Jan left for Italy around 1588, where he was particularly fascinated by the cultural landscape. He drew various Roman ruins that shaped the appearance of Naples and . After returning to Antwerp in 1596, Jan further perfected his skills in depicting the landscape, particularly of the flat variety. In both his drawings and , he developed new ways of representing life outside the city. He started painting flowers around 1606. Jan became one of Antwerp’s most important artists alongside Rubens, like whom he had the honour of working as court painter on several occasions for Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella. The most talented of his children was Jan Brueghel the Younger, who took over his father’s studio following the latter’s death. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.1. Sailing Vessels in a Harbour, ca. 1590 Pen and brown ink Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris, inv. 19.731. Photo RMN-Grand Palais / Thierry Ollivier

Jan’s interest in seascapes and coastal views grew during his time in Italy. This drawing of a harbour appears to be the earliest of his coastal compositions. Although the port in question has not been identified, the buildings in the background suggest a larger town. Brueghel’s chief aim with this harbour view was to create a sense of atmosphere and suggest everyday life in the port. The realistic representation is innovative. The accurate depiction of the ships in the bay and the style in which they are drawn suggest that Jan was influenced here by his father, Pieter Bruegel.

1.2. Frans Huys (Antwerp 1522–1562) after Pieter Bruegel the Elder Warships at Anchor, ca. 1561–62 Engraving and etching Lower right: ‘FH. bruegel’, ‘Cum privileg’ Royal Library of Belgium, Print Room, Brussels, inv. SI 7582

Jan Brueghel drew here on the print series Sailing Vessels and the engraving Naval Battle in the Strait of Messina, which Frans Huys made after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, as well the study drawings (now lost) for those works. The engravings feature not only ships in full sail, but also several warships with cannons at anchor in a harbour. Huys’ prints are a veritable encyclopedia of the different types of sailing vessel, which are drawn on a large scale and viewed from different angles. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.3. Jan Brueghel the Elder View of Heidelberg from the North- west Across the Neckar, ca. 1588–89 Pen in brown ink, blue and brown washes, heightened with white The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, David T Schiff Gift and Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1995, inv. 1995.15

This is Jan Brueghel’s earliest known drawing. The view of Heidelberg with its castle – the former residence of the Electors Palatine – and the bridge over the Neckar river is noteworthy for its topographical accuracy. Castle and bridge both still stand today. The drawing dates from 1588–89, as the castle looks the way it did prior to its alteration in 1590. Jan probably travelled through Heidelberg on his way to Italy, after a possible stopover in Frankenthal, where the landscape painter was working. The drawing has been done in watercolour – a technique Jan had learned from his grand- mother, Mayken Verhulst.

1.4. Jan Brueghel the Elder View of Rome with the Bridge and Castel Sant’Angelo, 1594 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Dated by the artist: ‘Roma 13 november 1594’ Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt, inv. AE ‘397. Photo: Wolfgang Furmannek

This drawing is a topographically accurate view from 1594. St Peter’s Basilica can be seen in the background. The lantern on the dome was not added until 1593. Jan made several copies in Rome of drawings by , but this composition and its technical execution demonstrate his own originality and approach to city vistas. St Peter’s and the Castel Sant’Angelo convey a grandeur and monumentality that contrast sharply with the calm surface of the River Tiber. The boat depicted lower left encourages the eye to follow an invisible diagonal to St Peter’s Basilica – an effective device for creating a sense of depth. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.5. Jan Brueghel the Elder The Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome, 1594 Pen and brown ink Signed and dated on the arch in pen and brown ink: ‘BRVEGHEL / 1594 S.P.Q.R.’ The Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth, repro- duced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees, inv. 846

1.6. Matthijs Bril (Antwerp 1550–1583 Rome) The Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome, before 1582 Pen and brown ink wrote on the back of the sheet in brown ink: ‘dit is een van die besste desenne die Ick van matijs mijn broeder nae het leeven hebbe’ [‘this is one of the best drawings from life that I own by my brother Matthijs’]. Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris. Photo RMN-Grand Palais / Tony Querrec, inv. 20.955

Jan Brueghel was one of several artists who copied drawings of Roman ruins by the Antwerp landscape artist Matthijs Bril, which were left in the studio of his brother Paul Bril (1556–1626) following Matthijs’ death. Eleven such drawings have survived, of which the one shown here is the most important. Jan was familiar with the rich collection of drawings by Matthijs Bril, which he chiefly copied to supplement his own collection of city views and for use in other artworks, although this particular arch does not crop up in any of his paintings. Jan copied the Arch of Septimius Severus almost verbatim. His drawing looks lighter than that of Matthijs, who gave his architectural drawings heavier lines. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.7. Jan Brueghel the Elder View from Inside the Colosseum, ca. 1593–94 Pen and brown ink, brown wash Signed lower right: ‘BRVEGHEL’ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, inv. KdZ 26327

Jan Brueghel did not only copy Matthijs Bril’s antique city views, he also drew his own in situ. He captured the landmarks in a highly personal, almost painterly manner, fuelled by his own artistic vision of beauty. This detail of the Colosseum, bathed in bright sunlight, appears below a dark archway, emphasizing the ruin’s monumentality. The sense of grandeur is heightened by the small figure in the foreground. Details like a patch of vegetation and the stones scattered at random along the path make this a naturalistic scene that contrasts with the idealized landscapes of his predecessors.

1.8. Jan Brueghel the Elder Landscape with the Ruins of an Ancient Crypt on the Via Appia, 1593 Pen and brown ink Dated by the artist: ‘1593 12 decembr(e)’ Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 5786

The loose brushwork creates the impression that this drawing was done from life. Yet monumental tombs were not usually constructed in the middle of nature, miles from anywhere. The one in the drawing is associated with the tomb of Priscilla on the Via Appia, while the landscape in the background recalls the hills beyond Tivoli, where there are no monuments like this. Jan probably saw it while out walking and then incorporated the tomb in an imaginary landscape after returning to his studio. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.9. Jan Brueghel the Elder The Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, 1593 Pen and brown ink Annotated by the artist: ‘Templum de Sibilla Tiburtina 6 iuli 1593’ Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 6599

Although it is not visible in Brueghel’s drawing, the Temple of Vesta stands on top of a hill overlooking Tivoli, with the impressive waterfalls below. Tivoli – known as Tibur at the time – is just over 30 kilometres from Rome and was a popular subject for artists. The temple was associated with the Tiburtine Sibyl in Brueghel’s day and was built in the 1st century BCE. Only ten of the original 18 Corinthian columns are still standing today, as is also the case in Jan’s drawing. The temple was drawn from close up, which was unusual in that period. Jan reused the motif in his own paintings. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.10. Jan Brueghel the Elder Aniene Waterfall in Tivoli, ca. 1593 Pen and brown ink, blue, brown, grey, yellow and green watercolour, heightened with graphite and white University Libraries, Leiden, inv. PK-T-AW 1240

Jan Brueghel visited Tivoli in 1593. He was drawn by the antique ruins and the distinctive landscapes around the Aniene waterfall. Rather than tangible natural details, Jan’s drawing emphasises the special atmosphere created by the cascading water. The waterfall envelops its surroundings in a curtain of vapour, the misty effect of which encloses the left side of the landscape in a haze. No other drawing captures the magical mood evoked by the combi- nation of spray, sun and misty air as effectively as this one.

1.11. Cornelis Cort (Hoorn/Edam 1533–1578 Rome) after Girolamo Muziano (Acquafredda 1532–1592 Rome) St Francis Receiving the Stigmata, 1567 Engraving In de cartouche below: ‘D. FRANCISCI STIGMATA MIRACULIS CELEBRATA / EX HIERONYMI MUCIANI BRIXIANI ARCHE- TYPO ANTONIUS LAFRERIUS ROMAE EXCUDEBAT / ANNO SAL. M.D. LXVI1’ Royal Library of Belgium, Print Room, Brussels, inv. SI 11935

Many of Brueghel’s contemporaries chose the Aniene waterfall as the subject for countless drawings. The earliest known depiction is by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, but this only survives in the form of engravings. Jan might have seen the fresco featuring the waterfall painted in the Chiesa dei Santi Apostoli by Girolamo Muziano in 1555, as reproduced in a 1567 engraving by Cornelis Cort. Brueghel zooms in on the waterfall, whereas the print shows the surroundings in their entirety. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.12. Jan Brueghel the Elder Landscape with St Francis Receiving the Stigmata, ca. 1595 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes 18th-century inscription lower right in pen and brown ink: ‘Brueghel de Velour’ British Museum, London, donated by Count Antoine Seilern, inv. 1946, 0713.147

Jan’s patron, Cardinal , was fond of landscapes into which a saint has retreated. He set great store by mental discipline. This drawing dates from the final part of Brueghel’s period in Rome, around 1595, shortly before he travelled to Milan with Borromeo. He might have made it for the cardinal. Although the theme is that of St Francis Receiving the Stigmata, no stigmata are visible, and the rays of light emanating from the clouds to which the saint has turned are only vaguely rendered.

1.13. Aegidius Sadeler the Younger (Antwerp 1570–1629 ) after Jan Brueghel the Elder St Francis of Assisi Receiving the Stigmata, ca. 1604 Etching and engraving On the plate: ‘Iohan Breugel inve., EG Sadeler sculp’ Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room, Antwerp, Unesco World Heritage Site, inv. PK OTP 16277

In the print that Sadeler made after Brueghel’s drawing, he clearly illustrates Francis’ divine encounter during his solitary moment in the mountains. Sadeler was in Rome in 1593 and 1595, where he met both Jan Brueghel and Paul Bril and made engravings after their drawings. Saints in a landscape were a popular theme in the 16th century in both Italy and the North. Room 8 – Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.14. Jan Brueghel the Elder and Pieter de Jode the Elder (1573-1634) The Penitent St Jerome in a Landscape, ca. 1595–96 Unfinished engraving to which a landscape background has been added, drawn in pen and brown ink, brown washt, bruine wassing Szépmuvészeti Múzeum / Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, inv. 1331

This highly unusual work contains a number of striking features. In technical terms, the combination of the engraved figures of St Jerome and the lion with a landscape drawn in pen and ink is unique. Jan Brueghel’s early works often contained imaginary cliffs and crags – a traditional motif that was frequently incorporated in the paintings of Flemish masters in the early 16th century, particularly by . But De Jode had no experience in the representation of landscapes, and so he turned to Jan Brueghel. Both artists were living in Rome around 1595. Not only did they share a profession, they were also compatriots. Their joint authorship of this work of art testifies to their mutual respect.

1.15. Pieter de Jode the Elder St Jerome in a Landscape, ca. 1595 Engraving Bottom left: ‘Petrus de Iode fecit et excud’ ‘OPPRIMIT HIC CARNEM, MUNDUM ODIT TARTARA DOMAT / INTER SPUNCUS SPIRITUS ASTRA PETIT. / SPECTATOR LACRIMIS DISCAS ACQUIRERE RISUM / PER PLANCTUM AD RISUM PRAEBET IMAGO VIAM’ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Found, New York, inv. 1917 17.3.1662

The penitent St Jerome, fully engraved here by De Jode in a rare surviving print, was represented from the 15th century onwards as an elderly, bearded man, often in front of an outcrop of rock – a symbol of the steadfastness of his faith that was borrowed from the writings of the Latin Church Fathers. The composition of the print from Budapest shows how Jan was influenced by new ideas from Italy: the saint is shown close-up, while the landscape around him is no longer dominated by tall, imposing cliffs. The saint kneels in front of an overgrown rocky crag. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.16. Jan Brueghel Flooded Valley with Tall Trees, probably 1593 Pen and brown ink Inscribed by the artist lower right in pen and brown ink: ‘In Milaan 13 Gennaro 15 Gennaro 15 [....]’ Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, inv. N 127 PK. Photo: Studio Buitenhof, The Hague

1.17. Pieter Bruegel the Elder Wooded Landscape with Five Bears (recto); Estuary with City in the Background (verso), ca. 1554 Pen and brown ink Dated by the artist lower right in pen and brown ink: ‘1554’ Národní galerie v Praze / National Gallery in Prague, inv. K 4493

This flooded river valley with tall trees is Jan Brueghel’s earliest wooded landscape and is related to a drawing by his father, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. While Jan never saw his father at work, he was certainly familiar with some of his drawings. Like his father, Jan has centred the composition on a twisted tree in the middle and incorporated a river with a village in the background. The two drawings are reversed versions of one another, indicating that Jan did not work from Pieter’s original drawing but from a print published by Hieronymus Cock. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.18. Jan Brueghel the Elder Landscape with the Temptation of Christ, 1595 Pen and brown ink and paintbrush tip Signed and dated lower left in pen and brown ink: ‘BRVEGHEL 1595’ Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 6618 (acquired in 1953)

1.19. Hieronymus Cock (Antwerp 1518–Antwerp 1570) after Pieter Bruegel the Elder Landscape with the Temptation of Christ, ca. 1554 Etching and engraving Bottom: ‘NON SOLO RUIT VICTVRVS EST HOMO, SED OMNI VERBO QVOD DIGREDETUR PER OS DEI. MAR. 4. DEVT. 8’ [‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ Matthew 4:4] Royal Library of Belgium, Print Room, Brussels, inv. SII 84231

Jan based this drawing too on the engraving by Cock, which was inspired in turn by Pieter Bruegel’s earlier drawing (cat. 1.17.). Dated two years later, it is more refined and testifies to the progress he had made in the meantime. The figures of Christ and the Devil (which Cock added to Pieter’s original scene and which Jan has also included) refer to an episode in the Bible: following his baptism, Jesus spends forty days and forty nights fasting in the desert, during which time Satan constantly seeks to tempt him. Jan’s version sticks closer to the Bible text than Cock’s does: he has Satan point to stones on the ground, as he asks why, if Christ is the Son of God, he does not simply turn them into bread to satisfy his hunger. The figures in Cock’s print are considerably less dramatic. Here, the Devil simply offers Christ bread to eat. Room 8 – 1 Jan Brueghel in Italy

1.20. Jan Brueghel the Elder Wooded Landscape with a Family of Bears, Deer and Other Wild Animals, ca. 1595 Pen and brown ink Lower left in brown ink: ‘Bruegel inuen [?] 1554. Roma’ Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 8025

The animals in this wooded landscape, with a family of bears, three deer, four rabbits and a lion, live in harmony with one another, which is obviously not in keeping with reality. This is an early example of Jan Brueghel’s love of depicting animals, as he did later in his many paintings of themes such as Noah’s Ark and the Garden of Eden. As in his previous drawings, Jan relied on his father’s compositions, which he took with him to Italy, for the depiction of forests. In this work, Jan refers to a composition of Pieter dating from 1554.

1.21. Jan Brueghel the Elder Landscape with Tobias and the Angel, 1595–96 Pen and brown ink, brown, grey-blue and blue washes Signed lower right in pen and brown ink: ‘J. breugel F’ on the verso: H. Breugel Feci’. Szépmuvészeti Múzeum / Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, inv. 1307 Jan often seems to have used his father’s drawings as a reference in his early landscapes, although the rocky crag with trees, looming up in the foreground, also crops up in early 16th-century landscapes. He did not imitate Pieter’s drawing style, however, but made brilliant use of his own, distinctive skills with brush and pen. Jan Brueghel’s work is simpler, because his aim was to depict nature more realistically. He spent the first ten years developing the spatial aspect of his landscapes, seeking to forge the different elements within his drawings into a unified whole. Room 9 – 2 River and village views

2.1. Jan Brueghel the Elder River Landscape Near Baasrode, ca. 1600 Pen and brown ink British Museum, London, donated by Count Antoine Seilern, inv. 1946.0713.148

The development of Pieter Bruegel’s experiments with composition and spatial structure can primarily be traced in his river views. Jan’s series of drawings of rivers began with this almost identical copy of his father’s work of the same name. The orthogonal composition creates a sense of space and makes the river seem very wide. The style of drawing is different, however: where Pieter drew sketchy outlines in pen, Jan used the more calligraphic style we find in most of his later drawings. This attractive manner of drawing is clearly visible in the leaves of the trees, which are formed using small, regular lines.

2.2. Jan Brueghel the Elder River Running Through a Town, 1600–02 Pen and brush in brown and blue ink, blue wash Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris. Photo RMN-Grand Palais / Tony Querrec, inv. 19.744

The composition with a river flowing through a town refers to Jan’s earlier drawing (cat. 2.1.). The river is wide at the bottom and runs in diagonals like a funnel towards the horizon. The trees heighten the lines of the two banks. The position of the boat at the bottom increases the illusion of a wide river. The windmill on the little island, with its bustle of activity, draws the viewer’s attention and breaks away from the orthogonal composition. The town and the river are depicted in a balanced way. A multiplicity of lines on the surface of the water reflect the surroundings, contributing to the realistic character of this drawing. Room 9 – 2 River and village views

2.3. Jan Brueghel the Elder River Landscape with Sailing Boats, ca. 1605–10 Pen and brown ink, blue wash Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, inv. Z 3789

Not only the boats, but the water and the sky too play an important part in this composition. What we have here is a variation on the diagonal placement of the river, but the left bank only begins halfway up the picture, making the river seem even wider. Like his father, Jan knew precisely how to emphasize the serene harmony of the landscape and the sunny atmosphere.

2.4. Jan Brueghel the Elder Houses by a River, early 1600 Pen and brown ink Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, inv. KdZ 722

The sketch-like drawing shows a group of modest houses along a riverbank, on which a few small boats are moored. These everyday motifs caught Jan’s attention because of the calm intimacy they evoke. They also appear in other works, including a gouache from Berlin (see cat. 2.5.). The composition of the gouache is striking, as it branches off in a new direction: the group of houses in the drawing is now located in a small harbour, which interrupts the diagonal line of the bank. That diagonal continues into the distance, where the tower of the former St Michael’s Church in Antwerp can be made out. Room 9 – 2 River and village views

2.5. Jan Brueghel the Elder Bank of a Busy River with Boats, 1603–04 Gouache Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett, inv. KdZ 746

This gouache is an interesting variation on the diagonal composition of a riverbank, in which the little harbour is not located on a straight bank but on a protruding tongue of land. The artist used the houses from the previous drawing in this composition (cat. 2.4.). Trees and shrubs play an important role, with the result that the houses are spaced a little further apart than in the drawing. The boats from the drawing have been replaced by a ship with figures and sailing boats. We rarely find any development between the initial sketch and finished work in Jan’s oeuvre, which would give us an insight into the composition process.

2.6. Jan Brueghel the Elder Sketch for a River View, 1610–15 Pen and brown ink Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris. Photo RMN-Grans Palais / Tony Querrec, inv. RF 00653

Only a few of these quick sketches have been preserved. They stand out for their taut, energetic pencil strokes. This drawing belongs among the orthogonal river landscapes, in which the banks meet more or less in the middle and hence have roughly the same length. It is unusual, however, for the irregular banks to be formed by twisting lines on both sides, which disrupts the strict geometry of the orthogonal composition. This effect is heightened by the disorderly arrangement of the sailing boats. Room 9 –2 River and village views

2.7. Jan Brueghel the Elder Canal with Sailing Boats and Cattle, 1620 Pen and brown ink, grey, grey-blue and green washes Signed lower left in pen and brown ink: ‘Jean Bruegel fecit 1620’ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstich- kabinett, inv. KdZ 5734

Jan continued to experiment in the 1610s and 1620s with orthogonal repre­ sentations of rivers and canals, paying attention in the process to perspective and the sense of width. The banks form a wedge shape in the middle of the drawing and the boats seem to be sailing with the current. A large plain stretches out on the right – one of Brueghel’s themes around this period of his career. The straight banks support the hypothesis that this drawing is a topographically accurate representation of the Willebroek canal, which was excavated between 1550 and 1561 to connect Brussels with Antwerp, the river Scheldt and the sea.

2.8. Jan Brueghel the Elder Windmill by a Busy River, 1620 Pen in brown ink, blue-grey and some blue watercolour Frame drawn in pen and dark brown ink Signed and dated lower right in pen and brown ink: ‘J. BRVE[G]HEL Fecit. 18 ivnio 1620’ Rijksmuseum, Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam, inv. RP-T-1961:68

Life also plays out along the banks in Jan Brueghel’s drawings of watercourses. The width and airiness of this sheet is striking, compared to the compactness of Jan’s earlier drawings. The foreground and the middle of the scene are dominated by carts and people waiting for freshly ground flour. There is a connection between the activity in the foreground and the mill. The care with which the work has been executed, the signature and the date, all suggest that the drawing was made to order. Room 9 – 2 River and village views

2.9. Jan Brueghel the Elder Village Street, early 1600 Pen and brown ink, brown and grey washes Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt. Photo: Wolfgang Fuhrmannek, inv. HZ 134

This wonderful snapshot of daily life is of immense historical significance, as it is one of the earliest known village scenes from the early 1600s. The village street is related to Brueghel’s orthogonal river landscapes. Drawn in a simple and compact way, it creates a very natural impression. Brueghel has managed to represent various goings-on in the same picture plane. The low horizon draws us into the action. Most of the figures and carts are shown from the rear, which creates a sense of depth. The expressive movements bring added dynamism to the drawing.

2.10. Jan Brueghel the Elder The End of a Village, early 1600 Pen and brown ink, brown wash Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris. Photo RMN-Grand Palais / Tony Querrec, inv. 19.752

This drawing looks more like an unfinished sketch. The first house in the row on the left is clearly in poor condition. We see horse-drawn carts in the street and peasants going about their business. The group in the foreground is probably involved in the sale of a horse. The owner holds the animal by the reins and looks at his potential buyers. The figures in the foreground have been emphasized using dark brown ink, as has the group in the background. Room 9 – 2 River and village views

2.11. Jan Brueghel the Elder St Martin Dividing his Cloak, 1611 Oil on copper Signed and dated lower left: ‘BRVEGHEL 1611’ The Lobkowicz Collections, Nelahozeves castle, Czech Republic

The composition of the drawing is related to that of the painting with an episode from the life of St Martin. Both works show the same location with the dilapidated house. Here, by contrast, the street provides the stage for a fragment from the Legend of St Martin. There are also a lot more figures in the painting. St Martin, mounted on his horse, is surrounded by a group of beggars, with whom he shares his cloak. Scenes from the life of St Martin were popular, as they drew attention to the immense poverty and disease that afflicted society.

2.12. Jan Brueghel the Elder Village Street with St Martin, ca. 1603–05 Pen and brown ink, blue and brown washes Inscribed lower centre in pen and brown ink: ‘Vieux Breughel’ Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, inv. NMH-THC-3259/1863

The villagers are standing in front of their houses. St Martin, surrounded by the poor, sick and crippled, cuts off part of his cloak to share with one of them. The sharing of the cloak is a scene that has been represented since the 10th century. The village is rendered so vividly that it almost overshadows the actual legend. The drawing displays similarities with the previous painting (cat. 24b). It is so perfectly detailed, however, that it is not considered a preliminary study but a work in its own right. Room 9 – 2 River and village views

2.13. Jan Brueghel the Elder Village Square with Trees, 1605–10 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstich­ kabinett, inv. KdZ 760

This composition refers to the drawing Village Street with St Martin (cat. 2.12.). The most important difference in this case is the reduced perspective, since the drawing does not show a street but a square. The row of houses is located deeper in the background in order to widen the foreground. The large tree with its striking foliage is even more emphatically present. Several objects, such as a ladder, workbenches and two-wheeled vehicles refer again to a cartwright’s workshop, but there is no activity going on. The drawing appears first and foremost to be an evocation of the silence of a Sunday, which Jan conveys by means of various atmospheric effects.

2.14. Jan Brueghel the Elder Farm on the Outskirts of a Town with Trees, 1620–23 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Rijksmuseum, Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam, inv. 1897 A 3370

This drawing testifies to a maturity in the evolution of Jan’s draughtsmanship. He shows a particular eye for realism here and also includes the imperfections of nature, such as the crooked trunks of the willows. He draws out their visual appeal. In the background, we make out Antwerp with the towers of the Cathedral of Our Lady and St Michael’s Abbey. Jan was in the countryside when this composition caught his eye. There is a striking contrast in this drawing between the sharply outlined foreground and the more diffuse silhouette of the city in the distance. Room 9 – 3 Study sheets

3.1. Jan Brueghel the Elder Studies of Peasants from Life, after 1600 Pen and brown ink, brown wash The Devonshire Collections, Chatsworth, reproduced by permission of Chatsworth Settlement Trustees, inv. 676

This is one of the few real figure studies in Jan’s oeuvre. Sheets of figures attributed to Jan have generally turned out to be copies made by other artists of figures in Jan’s paintings. This sheet contains a wonderful collection of figures that the artist might have drawn at a busy market: a fisherman, a hunter with his game, and women with baskets of laundry or food or carrying jugs. Some of the figures, including the man with a sack in the upper left or the group of three women at the bottom, have been sketched from several different angles, demonstrating that Jan drew the figures from life

3.2. Jan Brueghel the Elder Sheet with Studies of Figures, Horses and Carts, 1602 Pen and brown ink Dated with a pen and brown ink: ‘1 februwari 1602’ Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels. Photograph: J. Geleyns – Art Photography, inv. 4060/478

This sheet too is a rare figure sketch. We make out a variety of everyday activities that Jan might have seen at a busy market town. A woman sells bread, a child plays with a dog, two horses are hitched to a cart, and much more besides. Typically for Brueghel, all the figures are shown from the back and no faces are included. The horses in the top half of the drawing are also strikingly similar to the ones in the sheet from the Devonshire Collections (cat. 3.1.). Room 9 – 3 Study sheets

3.3. Jan Brueghel the Elder Sheet of Various Studies, after 1600 Pen and brown ink, brown wash British Museum, London, inv. 1861, 0810. 48

Jan drew a sheet full of anonymous characters engaged in all sorts of discon- nected activities: sitting, dancing, watching, standing, sailing and so forth. Of all the study sheets in the exhibition, this one seems the most closely related to figures in Jan’s paintings, with their wedding, kermis and dance scenes. The figures in Pieter Bruegel’s paintings have a much more dominant presence and are depicted closer to the surface than they are in Jan’s paintings. Jan s secondary figures, meanwhile, are generally much less individualized than those of his father: they lack the detail that admirers find charming in Pieter the Elder’s work.

3.4. Jan Brueghel the Elder Bird Studies, ca. 1610 Pen and brown ink, brown and grey-brown washes Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum Braunschweig, Kunstmuseum des Landes Niedersachsen, inv. Z 521

Jan has included various birds in this drawing, with both native and exotic species, such as peacocks, birds of paradise and ostriches. In 1604, Brueghel visited Rudolf II in Prague, where he admired the emperor’s collection of living and stuffed animals. He also had access to the menagerie in Brussels of Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella, for whom he acted as court painter for several stints beginning in 1606. The couple had large aviaries containing noteworthy specimens in the gardens of their palaces. And Jan is also sure to have been familiar with the bird prints by the Southern Netherlandish engraver Adriaen Collaert. So he had plenty of sources from which to develop his bird-drawing skills. Room 9 – 3 Study sheets

3.5. Jan Brueghel the Elder Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella with their Entourage on a Covered Platform, 1618 Black chalk Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 3794

Brueghel made the sketches on this extremely rare sheet, drawn on both sides, from life during an excursion to the countryside with the Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella, probably en route to Mariemont. The swiftly executed sketch on the front shows the governors of the Low Countries on a viewing platform accompanied by their courtiers. Jan drew even more secondary figures on the reverse. The sketches on both sides were worked out further in a slightly modified form in a washed drawing (cat. 3.7.) – very unusual in Brueghel’s oeuvre. An inscription at the bottom of the drawing refers to the castration of a boar.

3.6. Jan Brueghel the Elder Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella Observing the Castration of a Wild Boar, 1618 Pen and brown ink, black chalk, grey and brown washes Private Collection, Germany

This washed drawing is an intimate scene, probably without any political connotations, showing a small hunt with a handful of participants. It probably took place in Mariemont, the castle at which features in fourteen of his paintings, showing that the artist knew it well. The Archduke and Infanta sit on a covered platform and watch as a boar trapped by themselves or their hunters is castrated. Boars were traditionally castrated for two reasons: to pacify them and to eliminate the unpleasant smell caused by the hormones of male pigs. Room 9 – 3 Study sheets

3.7. Jan Brueghel the Elder Study of Hunting Horns and Two Fal- cons’ Hoods, before 1617 Pen and brown ink and brush, outlines in graphite Hamburger Kunsthalle, Kupferstichkabinett, Hamburg, bpk Christoph Irrgang, inv. 21652

This sheet is a rare drawing of elements. We know from one of Brueghel’s letters that he painted flowers without making preliminary studies, and he probably painted other objects directly on the canvas too. The artist has studied the horns individually and drawn them from life, but has also arranged them carefully. Consequently, this drawing does not appear to have been a spontaneous exercise in which he set down what he saw directly on paper. The hunting horns and falcons’ hoods are unlikely to have belonged to Jan himself, but will have been items he saw in the Archduke and Infanta’s collection. He might have drawn them there with a view to incorporating them in future paintings of hunting scenes.

3.8. Jan Brueghel the Elder Resting Deer in Mariemont Park, ca. 1618 Pen and brown ink, blue and green washes Monogram lower right: ‘E.C.’ Collection of Jean Bonna, Geneva (Photo: Patrick Goetelen, Geneva)

The castle at Mariemont, which Mary of Hungary ordered built in the 16th century, served as a summer residence for Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella. Jan Brueghel used it as the setting for a range of activities, such as hunting, walking or enjoying country life. He could then incorporate the drawings in a variety of painted compositions. This is one of only two known drawings by Jan Brueghel on the subject of animals (the other is cat. 3.4.). The scene was probably drawn partly from life. The delicate lines and subtly applied watercolour touches between the trees lend it a rare spontaneity. Room 9 – 3 Study sheets

3.9. Jan Brueghel the Elder Studies of Washerwomen, ca. 1620 Brush, brown ink, brown and grey washes Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, photo / Hans Thorwid, inv. NMH 1906/1863

This is a somewhat unusual sketch for Jan Brueghel, as it concentrates on a single activity: the washing and bleaching of laundry – an important but unsung task that was very time-consuming. The truncated legs in the upper left corner suggest that the sheet was originally larger. Below them two women heat cauldrons over a fire. Given that the drawing illustrates a complete washing day, we can assume that these contain the lye used for bleaching. At the bottom, meanwhile, women spread out the washing to dry.

3.10. Jan Brueghel the Elder Garland of Fruit and Flowers, 1620–23 Pen and brown ink, brown wash Museum Plantin-Moretus/Prentenkabinet, Antwerpen – Unesco Werelderfgoed, inv. PK. OT. 00562

Jan drew this study for the left-hand side of the wreath in the painting The Holy Family in a Garland of Flowers and Fruit, ca. 1620–23, in Munich. The drawing’s attribution to Jan Brueghel has frequently been questioned, yet the rendering of the flowers is very detailed and similar to that of the corresponding painting. Several Antwerp painters had already begun to experiment with the representation of flowers in the late 16th century, but it was Jan Brueghel and the Dutch painter who developed flower painting as a separate genre in the first decade of the 17th century. Room 9 – 4 En route

4.1. Jan Brueghel the Elder Wooden Bridge over a River, ca. 1604-05 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris. Photo RMN-Grand Palais / Tony Querrec, inv. 19.746

A bridge over a river was a popular theme in Netherlandish art around 1600. Jan Brueghel drew a lyrical portrait of this river, with a small boat sailing under the wooden bridge and a road leading towards a sun-drenched part of a town in the distance. The close-up view of the bridge and the use of trees as repoussoirs make this a unique drawing. Jan was brilliant at evoking a convivial bustle, but he was also able to create a more intimate mood. Similar representations can be found in the art of Matthijs and Paul Bril.

4.2. Jan Brueghel the Elder Wooded Landscape with a Stream, 1605–10 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Museum, inv. KK 4517

The concept of this drawing is related to the previous one. The bridge is a striking element once again. It simultaneously connects and separates the groups of trees on either side. The ones on the left dominate the image and convey a sense of strength. The trees in the middle catch a lot of sunshine and seem vulnerable. Brueghel was able to evoke this contrast between the trees using his technical skills, fine points and lines for the central passage and pronounced contours for the trees on the side. A path can be made out on the right running almost parallel with the bridge, with a number of houses that lend depth to the drawing. Room 9 – 4 En route

4.3. Jan Brueghel the Elder Road in a Village, ca. 1614 Pen and brown ink, brown wash P. & N. de Boer Foundation, Amsterdam

Very few rapidly sketched compositions by Jan Brueghel have survived. This drawing reappears in a painting from a French private collection, not shown here, which dates from 1614. The drawing originated in that same year. The houses and trees on either side of the village street have been sketched out; the animals, the figures in the foreground and the carts are worked up in more detail. Brueghel uses the low horizon, perfect perspective and carts travelling in both directions to draw us into the bustling activity.

4.4. Jan Brueghel the Elder Main Road with Vehicles and a Herd of Cows, 1615–16 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstich­ kabinett, inv. KdZ 5544

Brueghel began to experiment around 1605 with the depiction of plains extending in all directions, without repoussoirs. As in his paintings, he sought at this stage to apply the compositions he had devised for hilly landscapes to flat vistas. This drawing comes close to perfecting that goal. The formula includes a low horizon, accurately rendered carts, animals and people in the foreground, and vehicles travelling in both directions. The cattle moving in a semicircle lend the drawing a certain dynamism. Room 9 – 4 En route

4.5. Jan Brueghel the Elder Forest Road with Cart and Travellers, 1615–20 Pen and brown ink, brown and light grey wash Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room, Antwerp, Unesco World Heritage Site, inv. PK OT 00226

This drawing is an example of a harmoniously constructed concept. On the one hand, Brueghel used the orthogonally shaped forest road in combination with a hilly land­scape. The beginning of the road is marked by sturdy pairs of trees in full leaf and its further progress is edged by additional trees. The travellers are concentrated in the broad foreground, which expands horizontally. The cart is stuck in the mud, from which the carter is trying to extract it. The well-dressed man standing in front of the cart dispenses instructions. Bourgeois figures began to appear more frequently alongside peasants and labourers as of the second decade of the century. Jan was always on the lookout for innovation. Room 9 – 4 En route

4.6. Jan Brueghel the Elder Country Road with Windmills, ca. 1611 Pen and brown ink, grey-blue, blue and brown washes Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts Graphiques, Paris, Collection Edmond de Rothschild. Photo RMN-Grand Palais / Thierry Le Mage, inv. 3516 DR

4.7. Jan Brueghel the Elder Windmills in a Flat Landscape, 1611 Oil on copper plate Signed and dated lower right: ‘BRVEGHEL 1611’ Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - , München, bpk, inv. 1892

The Paris drawing is closely related to the painting from Munich. Both vistas highlight the characteristic flatness of the Low Countries. The drawing and the oil painting create a sense of infinite space and limitless freedom. Even the horizon no longer forms a barrier. The eye leads us into the distance, across the heads of the figures in the foreground. The sense of space is also heightened by the lack of repoussoirs on either side. The transition in the strips of land, which vary from dark to light, further intensifies the depth effect. The dominant horizon is disrupted by the verticality of the windmill, which stands on a slightly elevated plateau. Jan Brueghel produced his flat landscapes around 1605. Room 9 – 4 En route

4.8. Jan Brueghel the Elder Landscape with Carts on a Road, ca. 1615 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes over black chalk Signed ‘J. Brueghel (de velours)’ British Museum, London, inv. 1935, 1214. 3

Most of Jan Brueghel’s drawings are heightened with watercolour. This brilliant drawing has been finished by brush. Another variation on the theme of carts making their way through a landscape, this one stands out for its immense dynamism. The carter at the front whips his team of horses to get them to catch up with the convoy ahead. Swift brushstrokes on the right emphasize the speed at which the vehicle is travelling. There is a pronounced contrast too between the detailed cart in the foreground and the vaguely sketched city on the horizon.

4.9. Jan Brueghel the Elder Winter Landscape with Travellers, ca. 1615 Pen in brown ink, brown, blue and grey-blue washes, heightened with white on blue paper Szépmuvészeti Múzeum / Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, inv. 1302

This drawing is a highlight of Jan’s later period. It is notable for its powerful painterly effects and striking colour palette, which is rare within his oeuvre. Where Jan had given preference to diagonal compositions in his earlier period, he began to place more emphasis around 1600 on the horizontal. And in the 1610s, he frequently used both compositions together, as we see in this draw- ing. The background is characterised by a diagonal structure, while the travellers in the foreground are arranged horizontally. The use of atmospheric perspective heightens the drawing’s mood. The icy winter atmosphere is evoked by the unusual use of blue paper, which intensifies the cold, azure hues. Room 9 – 5 Life on the coast

5.1. Jan Brueghel the Elder Allegory of Water, before 1614 Pen and brown ink Regteren Altena Estate

This unusual drawing seems to be a design for a painting. We make out a river deity reclining against an amphora with three Nereids behind him. They are surrounded by fish and other marine animals, most of which are at least half-dead. A ship lies on its side nearby. The drawing might be a rendering of the Allegory of Water. Brueghel often painted allegories, including ones for the Archduke Albert and the Infanta Isabella and his patron Cardinal Federico Borromeo, who had a strong interest in humanist themes. The drawing might have been intended to highlight the dangers of the sea.

5.2. Jan Brueghel the Elder Stormy Sea, 1614 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes Signed and dated lower left in pen and brown ink: ‘Brueghel fecit primo decembri 1614’ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Kupferstich­ kabinett, inv. KdZ 724

Brueghel returned to the theme of coastal scenes after a hiatus of over ten years. Unlike his drawings of village scenes, for example, in which the emphasis is on bustling human activity in village centres, he filled in this sketch sparsely and emphasised the spatial elements supporting the composition. It also enabled the artist to highlight the power of nature and to give free rein to the turbulent sea and strong wind. In the distance, we make out the vague contours of a city. The destination of the people on the beach? Room 9 – 5 Life on the coast

5.3. Jan Brueghel the Elder Cargo Vessels and Rowing Boats off a Wharf, ca. 1614 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes The Morgan Library and Museum, New York, purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1873-1913) in 1909, inv. 1910 I. 115a

The horizon is represented suggestively. In the middle of the water, Brueghel has used light brushstrokes to draw two ships and a rowing boat at anchor. In the fore­ground, he evokes the atmosphere of a quiet day at a village quay in some detail. Boats were not only needed in the 17th century for transporting goods between towns and villages, they were also used to carry passengers. Brueghel seems to have studied them particularly closely during his travels to and around Italy, which is why the vessels in his later drawings have a southern appearance. In this drawing too, however, they show similarities with the Netherlandish ‘tjalk’.

5.4. Jan Brueghel the Elder Harbour with a Tower, ca. 1615 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes, black chalk Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, U. Edelma,, - Artothek, inv. 3787

We observe the activity here of a busy harbour by a river. Broad sloops sail in, boats tie up and merchandise is traded. Jan had already drawn towers and harbour scenes during his time in Italy, possibly under the influence of his colleague, Paul Bril, who had made a careful study of these themes and incorporated them in his drawings. The towers in Jan’s early works refer to the ones he saw in Rome, often in ruins. The one in this drawing, by contrast, is octagonal, has a roof that features in many 16th-century northern build- ings and resembles the construction of a staircase tower. Room 9 – 6 Travel impressions

6.1. Jan Brueghel the Elder Street in Prague, 1604 Pen and brown ink, brown and grey-blue washes, traces of black chalk Signed upper right by Jan Brueghel in pen and brown ink: ‘Praga’ Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 2559

Brueghel’s visit to Prague is documented by several paintings and two drawings featuring the city’s name in the picture. This fragment of a Prague street probably comes from Jan’s travel sketchbook, from which sadly no other drawings are known, although Brueghel is sure to have drawn many others. He set out the two adjoining buildings in this drawing with confident lines, adding the details and the effects of the bright sunshine with immense care. It is typical of Jan Brueghel that even in a travel sketch, he was not satis- fied with the buildings alone and so enlivened them with figures.

6.2. Jan Brueghel the Elder Woodland Road near Prague, 1604 Pen and brown ink, brown and blue washes over black chalk Signed and dated lower right with pen and brown ink: ‘BRVEGHEL fecit in praga 1604’ British Museum, London, inv. 1853, 0813.44

The idea of a road with trees on either side can already be found in Jan’s early drawings, in which the trees determine the structure of the image. What we get here is an objective sketch of a stretch of road on a hill, together with several figures. The large tree on the right was probably added later for aesthetic reasons. This drawing is a snapshot, capturing a moment in time. Brueghel composed his landscapes using real topographical elements, observed nature and accurate representations. It is not by chance that the artist made this drawing during his stay in Prague, as the city was one of the most important centres of European landscape art at the time. Room 9 – 6 Travel impressions

6.3. Jan Brueghel the Elder The Ruins at Pozzuoli with Travellers, 1604 Pen and brown ink, brown wash Private Collection

6.4. Aegidius Sadeler the Younger (Antwerp 1570–1629 Prague) after Jan Brueghel the Elder So-Called Round Temple at Baiae (Pozzuoli), 1606 Etching and engraving (Vestigi delle Antichità di Roma, Tivoli, Pozzuolo et altri Luochi) Plantin-Moretus Museum/Print Room, Antwerp, Unesco World Heritage Site, inv. PK OP 09679

The bay of Pozzuoli, to the west of Naples, was a large and popular resort that remained intact until the late Roman Empire. Its mild climate, mineral-rich thermal waters and lush, exotic vegetation, attracted wealthy Romans to holiday there until the final years of the empire. The magnificent buildings were damaged by earthquakes and almost entirely destroyed by the Saracens in the 8th century.

Even as a ruin, the monumental complex was a beautiful piece of architecture, which around 1600 was believed to comprise ancient temples. The building shown here, supposedly a temple dedicated to Venus or Diana, is actually part of a monumental bathhouse. The holes pricked into the outlines tell us that the drawing was used for a print. Room 9 – 6 Travel impressions

6.5. Willem II van Nieulandt (Antwerp 1584–Antwerp 1635) after Jan Brueghel the Elder ‘The Town of Spa, Most Pleasant and Healthful’, ca. 1612 Etching in two plates ‘Johannes Bruegel delineavit. Guil. Van Nieulant fecit. Theodorus Galle excudit’ Rijksmuseum, Rijksprentenkabinet, Amsterdam, Inv. RP-P-OB-67971

As the inscription tells us, Van Nieulandt made this engraving after a lost drawing by Jan Brueghel. The inset lower left shows the Sauvenière spring and the one on the right the Pouhon spring. Both were known for their mineral-rich thermal waters, which were already being bottled at the end of the 16th century and exported throughout Europe. The Pouhon spring is still in use, but the building as Brueghel knew it was replaced in 1880 by one with an octagonal kiosk, which was recently restored. The details of both springs are taken from sketches that Jan made during his visit in 1612.

6.6. Jan Brueghel the Elder The Market in Spa with Skittle Players, 1612 Pen and brown ink, blue, green, brown and red washes Signed and dated bottom left: ‘ Spa Bruegel fec. adi 22 Agusto 1612’ Fondation Custodia, Collection Frits Lugt, Paris, inv. 743

Brueghel shows the central market square in Spa here, with the market hall in the middle, the steps, an obelisk symbolising the privileges of Liège and several inns for visitors. The Church of St Remaclus is also visible. Remaclus (Aquitaine, ca. 600 – Stavelot, ca. 673), the patron saint of Spa, was an abbot, missionary and Bishop of Maastricht. The building served as a parish church from 1574, although its tower was not completed until 1600. In 1883, it was demolished to make way for the current Church of St Remaclus, which is located at more or less the same spot. Room 9 – 6 Travel impressions

6.7. Jan Brueghel the Elder View of Spa to the East from the Marketplace, 1612 Pen and brown ink, grey, green and blue washes The Syndics of the , University of Cambridge, inv. PD 212-1963

Although this drawing is identified as a view of Spa, this has never been proven. Doubt as to the location was prompted by the vague title ‘A Village in the Mountains’, assigned by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. A related drawing by an anonymous artist from 1641 confirms that Jan did indeed draw the famous resort. Attribution to Jan Brueghel was also doubted for some considerable time, however, as the use of watercolour in this drawing differs from other drawings in his oeuvre. All the same, the way the houses and figures have been drawn matches that in other drawings by Jan, confirming that he is the author.

6.8. Jan Brueghel the Elder The Pouhon Spring in Spa, 1612 Pen and brown ink, grey wash Royal Library of Belgium, Print Room, Brussels. Photo / J. Geleyns – Art Photography, inv. S.V. 85639

This is a detailed study for the picture of the Pouhon spring inset bottom right in Van Nieulandt’s print (cat. 6.5.). It is a rare example of a completed composition sketch by Brueghel, used in the execution of a print. He probably made a similar drawing for the inset with the Sauvenière spring at the bottom left of the print, too, although there is no longer any trace of it. The figures are based on drawings that Brueghel made from life during his visit to Spa (cat. 6.9. and 6.10.). Room 9 – 6 Travel impressions

6.9. Jan Brueghel the Elder Two Sketches of the Pouhon Spring in Spa, 1612 I. Studies of Elegant Figures Taking the Water at Spa, Two Monks and a Priest Pen and brown ink, brown wash over traces of black chalk II. Study of Elegant Figures Taking the Water at Spa Pen and brown ink, brown wash over traces of black chalk Private collection, digital image courtesy of The Morgan Library & Museum, New York. Photo by Janny Chiu, 2017

Brueghel drew these two studies from life at the springs in Spa: rapidly sketched at first in black chalk then heightened with pen and brown ink. Spontaneous sketches of figures like this are rare in Jan’s oeuvre. The link with his visit to Spa can be inferred from the elegant drinking figures. The figures also refer to those at the Sauvenière and Pouhon springs in the engraving by Van Nieulandt (cat. 6.5.).

6.10. Jan Brueghel the Elder Visitors to the Sauvenière Spring near Spa, 1612 Pen and brown ink, grey wash Signed bottom centre in pen and brown ink: ‘fonteyne om doogen te baden’ [‘fountain for bathing the eyes’] University Libraries, Leiden, inv. PK-T-AW 1006

It is not certain whether this figure study was drawn from life. The sheet might be a compilation of earlier studies. The drawing depicts a scene that Jan might have seen during a visit to the springs at Spa. There is a man with a falcon on the left, while two women to the right of him dab their eyes with water. Are they trying to cure themselves of blindness? That’s what the inscrip- tion suggests at any rate. The Groesbeek spring is close to the Sauvenière spring in Spa and was famous for curing eye diseases. A later inscription in the upper left of this drawing refers to the Sauvenière source in Spa. Room 2 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Pieter Mayken Coecke van Verhulst, Aelst, Mechelen, Aalst, 1502 – 1518 – 1599 Brussels, 1550

Mayken Coecke, Pieter Bruegel, Brussels ?, ?, ca 1526-1530 – ca. 1545-1578 Brussels, 1569

Pieter Brueghel II, Isabella de Jan Brueghel I, Catharina Brussels, 1564 – Jode, Brussels, 1568 – van Mariënburg, Antwerp, 1638 ? – Antwerp, 1625 ? – 1627 Antwerp, 1603

Paschasia Hieronymus Jan Brueghel II, Anna Brueghel, David Teniers II, Brueghel, van Kessel, Antwerp, Antwerp, Antwerp, 1610 – Antwerp, Antwerp, 1601 – 1678 1620 – 1656 Brussels, 1690 1603 – ? 1578 – 1636/40

Jan van Kessel, Antwerp, 1626 – 1679 Room 2 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp, 1601–1678) and Frans Francken the Younger, (Antwerp, 1601–1678) Allegory of the Four Elements Oil on panel, transferred to canvas Antwerp, The Phoebus Foundation

The figures in this painting are attributed to Frans Francken the Younger, while the landscape and still-life elements are the work of Jan Brueghel the Younger. The four female figures in the middle are the Nereid Amphitrite with a shell, the muse Urania with an armillary (an astronomical instrument), the goddess Vesta with a firepot and the goddess Ceres with the horn of plenty. They symbolise the elements of water, air, fire and earth respectively. The harvesters, the birds in the air and the animals on land and water also heighten the symbolic element of this work.

Pieter Coecke van Aelst, (Aalst 1502–1550 Brussels) Adoration of the Magi Oil on panel Antwerp, The Phoebus Foundation

Pieter Coecke travelled to Rome in the 1520s, where he made drawings of Italian architecture and sculptures. His paintings often display Italian influences, as in the case of this triptych. During a visit to Istanbul between 1533 and 1534 he drew Turkish costumes and customs – an exotic influence that can be detected in the figure of Melchior in this triptych, who is shown wearing a turban. Towards the end of his life, took on Pieter Bruegel the Elder as an apprentice. Bruegel later married Coecke’s daughter Mayken. It was Coecke’s wife, also called Mayken, who later introduced her grandsons, Jan the Elder and Pieter the Younger to painting. Room 2 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Jan Brueghel the Elder Landscape with Windmills and Travellers, ca. 1610 Oil on panel, Antwerp, The Phoebus Foundation

Jan’s work was so popular that he was able to produce several versions of the same theme, including this expansive landscape with windmills, surrounded by people carrying sacks of flour, hitching horses to a cart or simply chatting. This landscape is similar to a copy in Munich, in which Jan also explicitly concentrated on an atmospheric mood evoked using effects of light and shade in the sky, and their reflection on the ground. The use of atmospheric perspective and windmills of decreasing size emphasises the vastness of the flat landscape and heightens the depth effect.

Jan Brueghel the Elder Coastal Landscape with Fish Market Oil on panel Antwerp, The Phoebus Foundation

This charming painting was probably done after Jan returned from Italy, but before 1600. The boats are Flemish in origin, while the depiction of the market on the coast might be a reminiscence of Italy. Our gaze is drawn to the horizon, towards the light. Only in the second instance do we look more closely at the characters in the foreground. Their clothing, and especially their hats, show that they come from a variety of different places, just as you would expect in a harbour. Room 2 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Jan Brueghel the Elder and (Antwerp, 1564–1635), Summer Landscape with Harvest, ca. 1610 Oil on panel Private Collection

This delightful painting immediately evokes the atmosphere of the work of the same name by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the subject of which has appeared regularly in art ever since. Both artists were intimately acquainted with the Elder Bruegel’s painting. De Momper elaborated on Bruegel’s invention by synthesising his mountain landscapes and further developing the atmos- pheric perspective. Jan Brueghel refined the theme and evolved towards flatter landscapes. The landscape here was done by De Momper, with Jan Brueghel providing the figures.

Jan van Kessel (Antwerp, 1612–1652) Allegory of Sight Oil on copper Snyders & Rockox House, inv. 2018.1

Jan van Kessel was influenced by his grandfather Jan Brueghel the Elder. He was trained by Jan the Younger, who had taken over his father’s studio. Van Kessel became an independent artist in 1645. We are treated here to a magnificent picture gallery by the river Scheldt in Antwerp with a view of the cathedral. Our eyes are also drawn to paintings referring to , as well as sculptures that strongly resemble the bronzes of the Flemish sculptor Giambologna, who settled in Italy. The figures were painted by another hand. The nude woman has frequently been identified as Venus, but might also represent Juno, the personification of optics. The little boy holds a mirror, a symbol of self-reflection. Room 3 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp, 1601–1678) Flowers in a Decorative Vase Oil on canvas, ca. 1625 Bob Haboldt Collection

Jan Brueghel the Younger was active in his father’s studio from the age of ten. He also travelled to Italy, where he enjoyed the patronage of Cardinal Federico Borromeo. Jan the Younger shared his father’s talent and was able to paint this opulent floral arrangement with immense precision, taking inspiration for both the flowers and the vase from the work by Jan I that is now in Berlin. The same vase also appears in a painting in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, which father and son painted together. It is decorated with the four elements, of which we see Amphitrite and Ceres representing water and earth.

Jan Brueghel the Elder Travellers on the Road Oil on copper Antwerp, Snyders&Rockox House, inv. 77.118

This painting is evidence of Brueghel’s technical skill as a painter. He brings a sense of depth into his panorama in different ways, including two zones of colour – brown in the foreground, blue in the background. Several figures stand with their backs to the viewer. The travellers are walking towards a village in the distance, all of which heightens the sense of perspective. Jan Brueghel represents an important link in the history of . Room 3 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Jan Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp, 1601–1678) Charon Ferrying Souls Across the Styx Oil and gold on copper Bob Haboldt Collection

Charon drags his boat ashore having rowed the souls of the dead across the Styx, the river that separates the world of mortals from the underworld. The composition of this painting draws on hell scenes by Jan Brueghel the Elder, which were inspired in turn by the tradition of . None of the figures in this painting can be identified, with the exception of Charon himself, who is depicted as an old man with a long beard and an oar. On the far bank of the river, he has left behind a number of souls who were unable to pay the ferryman. Room 4 – The Brueg(h)el dynasty in the permanent collection

Pieter Brueghel the Younger Flemish Proverbs Oil on canvas Snyders&Rockox House, inv. 77.152

There’s a whole lot of people in this print. And a whole lot going on as well! Bruegel has illustrated over a hundred proverbs here, each mercilessly highlighting the deception, hypocrisy and absurdity of human behaviour. The message is serious, the packaging playful. Can you see the couple in the middle foreground, the woman in the red dress and the man with the blue cloak? What’s that all about? ‘She’s hanging the blue cloak on her husband.’ In other words, there is a whiff of adultery in the air.

David Teniers (Antwerp, 1610–Brussels, 1690) Kitchen with Woman Peeling Onions Signed lower right D. Teniers F Oil on panel Gesigneerd R.o. D. Teniers F Private Collection

David Teniers was a prolific artist, to whom over two thousand works have been attributed. He was at his most productive between 1640 and 1650. Many of his decorative paintings later served as models in the seventeenth century for , known as ‘Tenières’. This kitchen scene dates from around 1640 and its iconography refers to his famous predecessor Pieter Bruegel the Elder by way of Adriaen Brouwer. The meagre lighting, the bare earth floor and the ceiling beams are all typical of interiors like this, to which Teniers has added a magnificent fruit and vegetable still life. CREDITS

Curators Exhibition Dr Teréz Gerszi Dr Louisa Wood Ruby

Visitor guide texts Hildegard Van de Velde Based on the catalogue notes “Jan Brueghel, A Magnificent Draughtsman”.

Editing KBC Language Service, Luc Philippe

Design KBC External Communication, Claudine Simpelaère

Coordination and communication Patrick Wuytack

Responsible publisher: Snijders&Rockoxhuis, Keizerstraat 10–12, 2000 Antwerp