Brussels Airlines unveils Bruegel-themed aircraft by Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys

Brussels Airlines, in partnership with VISITFLANDERS and BOZAR, has launched an initiative to commemorate Pieter Bruegel the Elder on the 450th anniversary of his death. The airline commissioned contemporary artists Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys to paint the livery of an Airbus A320. The duo selected iconic imagery from Bruegel's works—including Netherlandish Proverbs (1559), The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (1559), Children's Games (1560), Two Monkeys (1562), The Flight into Egypt (1563), The Tower of Babel (1563), The Hunters in the Snow (1565), The Harvesters (1565), and The Peasant Dance (1569)—and hand-painted them over 18 days across the aircraft's 37-meter length. The plane recently flew to Venice for the 2019 Biennale Arte, where de Gruyter and Thys are representing Belgium. This is the sixth Belgian icon to receive a special livery, following Tintin, the Red Devils, Magritte, Tomorrowland, and the Smurfs. To boost tourism, the Hi Belgium Pass: The Flemish Masters Experience has been launched, offering flights from 48 European cities to Brussels, unlimited train travel, and free access to cultural attractions. Peter De Wilde, CEO of VISITFLANDERS, stated that 75 million travelers will be exposed to Flemish Masters over three years, and one million passengers will fly on a Flemish Master aircraft in five years.