Brueghel Dynasty Exhibition at Venaria Reale Explores Birth of Bourgeois Art
The painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, created more than a century after the October Revolution, illustrates the shift in humanity following the Protestant Reformation and the medieval obscurantism in 16th-century Flanders. For over 150 years, his workshop became a renowned brand, influencing successors such as Abraham Brueghel and Jan Brueghel the Elder. The Brueghels depicted everyday life, marking a turn towards realism in European art, while the tulip from Asia Minor triggered the financial crisis of 1637. The emerging bourgeoisie in Antwerp sought art for comfort and entertainment. Brueghel’s wit and irony connect with contemporary themes, establishing him as a precursor to pop art. An exhibition at Reggia di Venaria, attracting over a million visitors, features more than 100 works that encapsulate the early bourgeois spirit.
Key facts
- Exhibition at Reggia di Venaria, Turin, focuses on the Brueghel dynasty.
- Pieter Brueghel the Elder's workshop spanned five generations and 150 years.
- Over 100 works, mostly from private collections, many from Belgium and Flanders.
- Exhibition already seen by over 1 million visitors in six cities including Como, Rome, and Bologna.
- Abraham Brueghel specialized in still lifes, Jan Brueghel the Elder in velvets, Marten van Cleef in peasant weddings.
- The tulip from Asia Minor became the national flower and caused the first speculative bubble in 1637.
- Antwerp in mid-16th century had over 100,000 inhabitants and was a cultured, tolerant metropolis.
- Pieter Brueghel the Elder is called 'the second Bosch' and considered the first pop artist.
- Small-format works reflect the size of bourgeois homes and pushed artistic innovation.
- The exhibition highlights the birth of a widespread art market that continues today.
Entities
Artists
- Pieter Brueghel the Elder
- Abraham Brueghel
- Jan Brueghel the Elder
- Marten van Cleef
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Andy Warhol
- Nicola Davide Angerame
Institutions
- Reggia di Venaria
- Artribune
Locations
- Turin
- Italy
- Como
- Rome
- Bologna
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Flanders
- Asia Minor