Pieter Bruegel [Hardcover]

Philippe Roberts-Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2002

Famous for his robust scenes of peasant life and his incomparable mountain landscapes, the beloved 16th-century artist Pieter Bruegel is generally considered the greatest Flemish painter of the Renaissance. This book, the most up-to-date monograph on Bruegel, incorporates the latest art-historical research and new information gleaned from recent restoration of his work. The authors, an art historian and a painting conservator, each bring their special expertise to bear on the many outstanding questions about the artist's life, technique, and the often enigmatic meaning of his paintings.

Bruegel's enduring appeal brought huge crowds to a recent show of his drawings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Lavishly illustrated not only with Bruegel's paintings, drawings, and engravings but also with telling details and archival material rarely or never shown elsewhere, this sumptuous book on this enormously popular artist will find a wide audience.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although he painted landscapes, biblical events and even scenes of otherworldly debauchery reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch, 16th-century Flemish painter Bruegel is probably best known for his scenes of peasant farmers laboring in the fields. Today, these masterpieces of Renaissance art are scattered around the world, from Vienna to New Jersey. The Roberts-Joneses (Philippe is a University of Brussels art history professor and Françoise specializes in restoring early Netherlandish paintings) have collected dozens of Bruegel's works (only about 40 paintings and 40 drawings survive, plus some 80 engravings) in a gorgeous volume and paired them with insights into the artist's life and work. They explain nuts and bolts aspects, such as the origins of the linen used in some of Bruegel's paintings, and how the pigments for the paint were crushed and mixed; they also offer deeper explanations of the symbolism behind many of the works. Their descriptions of scenes and paintings lean toward the pleasingly poetic: e.g., of The Harvest, they write, "the powerful, billowing mass of the wheat separates the foreground from the distance, which is lost in a haze of heat." With over 350 photographs, most in full color, the book is a veritable feast for the eyes and a valuable examination of the artist and his milieu.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a veritable feast for the eyes and a valuable examination of the artist and his milieu." -- Publishers Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810935317
• ISBN-13: 978-0810935310
• Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 10 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,105,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Book, September 27, 2003

By 

algugel (Richmond Hill, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pieter Bruegel (Hardcover)

Pieter Bruegel Elder is a very well known and hugely influential artist, whose relatively small body of survived through centuries paintings and graphics are incredibly important for the art as whole, and that magnificent book - written with deep respect and admiration to the great flemish master is a definite must have to anyone who is intersted in art history and beyond.What impressed me the most in that excellent reference to the Bruegel's time, art and life is a quality of reproduction of the art work-its really,really great-accurate,vibrant and crisp.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Veritable Bruegel Feast, January 22, 2010

By 

dream factory (Triangulum, M33) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pieter Bruegel (Hardcover)

The Amazon Editorial Review perfectly describes this lavish book.

A big wonderful book overflowing with beautiful reproductions of paintings, engravings, and drawings. Throughout the book contemporary artists of his time have been added to expound upon the artist's era. Also there is a political, religious, economic time-line walking us through that part of history. En total showing us who and what influenced Bruegel as a developing artist and how he influenced others. The text presents his life and artistic development clearly.

The book also presents dozens of super detailed close-up. Bringing you right up to the brushstrokes and crackles.

Indeed THE definitive book on a great and influential artist.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tiny reproductions, October 24, 2010

By 

Y. Li - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pieter Bruegel (Hardcover)

If you have seen the figures in the book "Hieronymus Bosch" by Larry Silver 2006, you will be very disappointed by this book "Pieter Bruegel by Philippe Roberts-Jones". The reproductions are tiny, and you can not really enjoy looking at those figures. There are some reprints of Bruegel's paintings in the book "Hieronymus Bosch", and those are bigger and crisper than figures here. Yes, there are details of some figures, but not enough. This book might be the best book on Pieter Bruegel's paintings, drawings, and prints, from the reviews of other books on this topic, but it is not good enough. I wish there will be a Bruegel book as good quality as "Hieronymus Bosch" by Larry Silver 2006.