Artists Illustrating Boys' Fashions: Jan Bruegel the Elder (Flanders, 1558-1625)



Figure 1.-- Here we see Jan Bruegel The Elder and his second wife Catharina van Marienbergh together with the two eldest children. Pieter was born in 1608 and Elisabeth was born in 1609. The whole family is fashionably dressed. His son Pieter wears a fancy scarlet costume, but it is covered by a brown cape. One has the impression tha Rubens didn't want to take the time to paint Pieter's costume in more detail. His wing collar looks to be trimmed in lace. Art critics have commented on the boy's pose which seems to portray that of courtiers. Some suggest that Roben's was depicting the aspirations of the parents. The portrait was painted in 1614 by Peter Paul Rubens who was an artist friend of Jan Bruegel.

Jan Bruegel the Elder is one of the most important artists of the Northern Renaissance. He was a noted painter of his time and unlike some artists finally successful. His life and artistic career spanned the 16th and 17th centuries. His father was Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Jan was also known as `Flower Bruegel' and `Velvet Bruegel.' He was noted for the realism and accuracy of his depictions as well as the jewel-like color of his palet. Thus Bruegel and the other Flemish artists give us a wonderful record of the fashions of the day. The Rubens paintging of the famioly here is a good example of this. The whole family is fashionably dressed. His son Pieter wears a fancy scarlet costume, but it is covered by a brown cape. One has the impression tha Rubens didn't want to take the time to paint Pieter's costume in more detail. His wing collar looks to be trimmed in lace. Art critics have commented on the boy's pose which seems to portray that of courtiers. Some suggest that Roben's was depicting the aspirations of the parents. The portrait was painted in 1614 by Peter Paul Rubens who was an artist friend of Jan Bruegel. Bruegel also colaborated with Joos de Momper the Younger, Hendrik van Balen, Hans Rottenhammer and others. Bruegel addressed a wide range of topics. Some of the most interesting are his village scenes which provide a marvelous record of contemporary Flemish life. He also did landscape and flowers. In addition to his realistic works, he did mythological and allegorical paintings.

Biography

Jan Bruegel the Elder is one of the most important artists of the Northern Renaissance. He was a noted painter of his time and unlike some artists finally successful. His life and artistic career spanned the 16th and 17th centuries. His father was Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Style

Jan was also known as `Flower Bruegel' and `Velvet Bruegel.' The reflected both his love of painting flowers and his ability to realistically depict costume, even the material involved such as velvet. He was noted for the realism and accuracy of his depictions as well as the jewel-like color of his palet.

Colleagues

Bruegel was close to Peter Paul Ruebens as suggested here by the family portrait Rubens painted. Bruegel also colaborated with Joos de Momper the Younger, Hendrik van Balen, Hans Rottenhammer and others.

Body of Work

Bruegel addressed a wide range of topics. Some of the most interesting are his village scenes which provide a marvelous record of contemporary Flemish life. He also did landscape and flowers. In addition to his realistic works, he did mythological and allegorical paintings.

Clothing

Bruegel and the other Flemish artists because of the realism and accuracy of their depictions give us a wonderful record of the fashions of the day. The Rubens painting of the famioly here is a good example of this. Notice that the adults are wearing elaborate collar ruffs. The male and femal ruffs here are different, but we have seen both styles worn by men and women. The children do not wear such elaborate ruffs. Here we think this was essentially a matter of practicality and cost. Pieter's clothes are particularly fashionable of the time. He wears a scarlet costume with a brown cape. His collar has lace trimmings resembling gothic windows. Elisabeth's clothing is a good example of ribbons attached on the shoulders of girls' dresses--leading strings. A reader writes about the clothing, "I think also that the boy is just beginning to be breeched . Before, he was dressed like Rubens' son. Maybe he is wearing still ribbons like the children in Van Dyck (I don't remember the name but it is an italian one). About the girl, I agree with you that those ribbons are strong enough to be used as reins and are not just symbolic. But this picture is interesting because even if costumes are the same between adults and children, the difference is really with the ribbons."

Family

The Bruegel family is wonderfully recorded by a magnicent portrait painted by his friend and colleague, Peter Paul Rubens. Bruegel married twice. Here we Bruegel with his second wife Catharina van Marienbergh together with the two eldest of their their children (figure 1). Pieter was born in 1608 and Elisabeth was born in 1609. The whole family is fashionably dressed. His son Pieter wears a fancy scarlet costume, but it is covered by a brown cape. One has the impression tha Rubens didn't want to take the time to paint Pieter's costume in more detail. His wing collar looks to be trimmed in lace. Art critics have commented on the boy's pose which seems to portray that of courtiers. Some suggest that Roben's was depicting the aspirations of the parents. The portrait was painted in 1614 by Peter Paul Rubens who was an artist friend of Jan Bruegel. Antwerp was swept by a Cholera epidemnic in January 1625 which claimed the life of Bruegel, both the children in this picture and another daughter Maria. The portrait was painted in 1614 by Peter Paul Rubens who was an artist friend of Jan Bruegel.







HBC





Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main individual A-F artist alphabetical page]
[Return to the Main Flemish artist page]
[About Us]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Artists] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Girls]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing artistic pages:
[Return to the Main artistic page]
[Chronologies] [Individuals] [National] [Styles]




Created: 11:36 PM 8/1/2005
Last updated: 7:57 PM 8/2/2005