The life and times of Peter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525-1569) were marked by cultural conflict. He witnessed religious wars, the brutal rule of the Duke of Alba as governor of the Low Countries and the palpable effects of the Inquisition. To this day, the Flemish artist remains shrouded in mystery. We do not know exactly where or when he was born. While early scholars emphasised the vernacular character of both his painting and his graphic work, modern scholarship places more emphasis on the humanist content of his creations.

After starting out as a designer of prints for the publisher Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel produced numerous series of lithographs that were distributed throughout Europe. In them he illustrated vices and virtues alongside joyful village festivals and magnificent panoramic landscapes. Over time he turned increasingly to painting, producing commissions for the cultural elite of Antwerp and Brussels. Instead of idealising reality, he bravely confronted the problems of his time, illustrating the horror of religious wars and adopting a critical stance towards the institution of the Church. To this end, Bruegel developed his own pictorial language of dissent, introducing innocuous subliminal ideas into everyday scenes in order to avoid repercussions.

This book is based on our monograph XXL, for which TASCHEN made a comprehensive photographic study of the artist's work. The result is impeccable reproductions and details that reveal Bruegel's spectacular universe in unprecedented clarity.

To celebrate our 40th anniversary, this monumental collection is now presented in two compact volumes. Bruegel: Complete Painting presents all 40 paintings, accompanied by enlarged details and fascinating, accessible texts.

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