The Brueg(h)El Phenomenon by Christina Currie

The Brueg(h)El Phenomenon by Christina Currie

The fascination exerted by the works of the illustrious Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the decades following his death in 1569 is matched only by the intense interest they generate today. At the end of the sixteenth century and in the first half of the seventeenth, the most ambitious art collectors fought over the few paintings by the master that were still on the market. This setting was the catalyst for the appearance of copies and pastiches - and even deliberate forgeries. It was then that the elder son of Pieter Bruegel, known as Pieter Brueghel the Younger (whose name is spelled 'Brueghel' here, conforming to the signature that he adopted during the initial phase of his career) emerged as a legitimate successor, producing astonishingly faithful replicas of his father's paintings. This was all the more surprising given that they were often made after works that were by then dispersed in diverse and sometimes inaccessible private collections. Operating within the context of a sizeable workshop, Brueghel supplied the market with hundreds of copies of variable quality according to demand. This enterprise merited re-evaluation from a technical point of view: how were such vast numbers of copies produced in practice?This three-volume book explores the intriguing Brueg[H]el phenomenon through the two artists' painting practices. The technical aspects of their works are investigated in a detective-like manner and are strikingly elucidated with a wealth of colour illustrations. The reader will come to understand the accomplished practitioner behind the genius that is Bruegel the Elder and the working procedures of his foremost emulator's workshop. Furthermore, Brueghel the Younger's exceptional qualities as a painter are singled out from those of his workshop production. The book also reveals fresh discoveries on the father's creative process through the study of his son's copies.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9782930054148
ISBN 10	293005414X
Title	The Brueg(h)El Phenomenon
Author	Christina Currie
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Brepols Publishers
Year published	2012-07-11
Number of pages	1062
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.