Bruegel. The complete paintings, drawings and prints

When the Bruegel expert Manfred Sellink was appointed artistic director of the Bruges Museums in 2001, he already had an impressive career behind him. First as a researcher in the University of Utrecht, later as senior curator of Museum Boijmand Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. He has published mainly on prints and drawings from the Low Countries from the second half of the sixteenth century in general, and on the work of Bruegel in particular. Peter Bruegel the Elder is the representative of Flemish painting of the sixteenth century. He was especially important for the development of landscape and genre painting in the Low Countries. The visual innovations of such artists as David Teniers the Younger or Adriaan Brouweer are indebited to Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Bruegel has been studied a lot in the past and a good many books have been written about his work. All the same, the most recent serious survey dates from 1988. That publication was a classical approach to the master and drew on the literary sources and iconographical out, resulting in many were available at the time. But since then a lot of new research has been carried beautiful book places the work of the master within its historical and cultural context. Besides offering new insights, it is also innovative with regard to its form, as it is a wonderful example of what can be done with the latest printing technology. All of the paintins, prints and drawings, the eye-catchers of this comprehensive monograph, are accurately and splendidly reproduced. Relevant details are pinpointed and discussed separately so that you can see things that might otherwise have escaped your notice. This is an absolutely pioneering art historical work. This is above all thanks to the author, Manfred Sellink, who guides you in a clear and solid way through the art and artistry of Bruegel while at the same time presenting a lively portrait of his life and work. A book to cherish.