Brussel 1564 / 1638 Antwerp

Pieter Brueghel the Younger was the son of Pieter Brueghel the elder (1528-1569). Since his parents died when he was very young, he was first trained by his grandmother Mayken Verhulst; then he was apprenticed to Gillis van Coninxloo around 1579. In 1585 he was first mentioned as  ‘wijnmeester’ (son of a master) in the Guild of St. Luke, Antwerp (Rombouts/Van Lerius 1872/1961); he continued to work in Antwerp until his death in 1638.

Brueghel married Elisabeth Godelet in 1588. They had seven children including  Maijcken Breugel (died 1632) and Pieter Brueghel III (born 1589). Pieter Brueghel the Youngers work can be divided in two periods. In the beginning he copied many of his father’s paintings and developed several versions of them. He added his personal touch by introducing variants, including a significant focus on landscape and his own particular colours, that were livelier and of greater purity than those used by his father. The second period started around 1615 when he started with the creation of more personal paintings, which met with great success from the outset, also inspiring several replicas. Pieter Brueghel was held in high esteem in the 17th century, he influenced every Flemish painter of his era. He had a fruitful career and was highly successful throughout his lifetime. 

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