The Hunters in Snow, Pieter Bruegel, the Elder

  A winter scene for a winter day.  Out my window the snow is falling setting the mood for this week's image. Our artist is Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, born 1525-30 and died in 1569.  (yes, there was a Younger)
   This is an oil painting on wood done in 1565, measuring 46"by 64".  It is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.  The title is, The Hunters in Snow and it has been called, Return of the Hunters.
   The setting for this painting is the lowlands of Europe, now known as Belgium and Netherlands.  I love Bruegel's work because, just like Vermeer, 200 years later, we catch a glimpse of what life was really like for common people over 450 years ago.  Here is a wonderful panorama displaying people at work and in play - simply going about their daily lives.  We can comment about the life from many angles, certainly difficult as we see women on the left working over an open fire.  Since we see no kill from the hunters it is possible they have been unsuccessful. 
   The composition is interesting.  Half the painting is close to us, the foreground, while the right half is a great distance.  The dogs, hunters and even line of trees point directly to the center moving out to the frozen river.  The line of the cliff forms another x shape, as we have seen in another recent painting.  At the top right, capping off and balancing this space is some interesting peaks.  I question whether the lowlands of Belgium had such mountains, even in 1569.  My guess is that Bruegel knew the space needed balance, so waved his wand, and they appeared.   Great! Artistic license taking command. 
   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.   

Comments

  1. charguthDecember 11, 2019 at 4:51 PM

    Snow covered scenes always give me a feeling of peace and quiet. There is a lot of activity in this picture, but I still only hear the sounds of laughter from the skaters and the crackling fire. And I assume the fire has a utilitarian purpose, not a 'smores party" as we might expect. It is heartening to see a whole village enjoy life at a time when I'm sure there were many hardships. I'm curious about the hunters weapons. Are they spears?? Also the tiny pups among the pack of hunting dogs. Perhaps all family pets. I like the vantage point the artist has given us , and appreciate your explanation of the composition. The colors suggest a gloomy day, but the people give it a pleasant atmosphere. The black figures, skating, lead our eye right up to the birds. I do like the work of Pieter Bruegel, the Elder.

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  2. Art Expert On LineDecember 12, 2019 at 1:07 PM

    Great comments! Thanks. I did think your smore comment funny - that is certainly what I would be doing around a big fire. I also agree it seems to be a very cloudy day, as there are no shades, only a blue-grey sky. But it is fun, to look back on time seeing normal people in life's work.

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