Koller View 3/21

8 Preview of the Old Master Paintings auction on 1 October 2021 A family influences an era Four generations of the Brueghel dynasty of painters left their mark on the history of Flemish art. The progenitor, Pieter Brueghel the Elder (circa 1526/30–1569), was active in Antwerp and Brussels. His allegorical narrative paintings and depictions of rural life, often richly populated with figures, played a major role in shaping our image of the 16 th century. Pieter was the father of two sons: Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564–1638) and Jan Brueghel (1568–1625), later called the Elder. While the first-born Pieter followed in his father’s footsteps, taking over his workshop and closely imitating his style, Jan became an innovator and a style-setting pioneer of Flemish Baroque painting, primarily through his lifelike still lifes and realistic landscapes. In the third generation, Jan the Elder’s sons Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601– 1678) and Ambrosius Brueghel (1617–1675) ably carried on the family tradition. The fourth generation produced five more painters, but none matched the artistic brilliance of their predecessors. Three works by the Brueghels will be offered in the Old Master Paintings auction: a large-format depiction of John the Baptist preaching in the midst of a large crowd, by Pieter the Younger based on the pictorial repertoire of his father; an ‘Allegory of Hearing’ by Jan Brueghel the Younger, and an atmospheric river landscape by Jan Brueghel the Elder. Jan Brueghel the Elder also regularly collaborated with other artists. In several works by Peter Paul Rubens, he was responsible for the floral decoration. The painting illustrated on the cover of this issue was also created in collaboration with a fellow painter: the landscape is by Joos de Momper, and the figures by Jan Brueghel the Elder. 1 2 3 1 Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564–1638). The sermon of John the Baptist. Oil on canvas. 95 × 162.5 cm. Estimate: CHF 380 000/500 000 2 J an Brueghel the Elder (1568–1625). A village scene with a canal. 1608. Oil on copper. 14.7 × 19.6 cm. Estimate: CHF 70 000/120 000 3 J an Brueghel the Younger (1601–1678). Allegory of Hearing. Oil on copper. 59.3 × 91 cm. Estimate: CHF 200 000/300 000