1559
unspecified
From the collection of Catholic University of Leuven
Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Dutch Proverbs Detail: One shears the sheep, the other the pigs is a 1559 unspecified by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, a Northern Renaissance work, held at Catholic University of Leuven.
You see a crowded scene full of tiny figures doing odd things. One man shears a sheep while another trims a pig—just two of over a hundred proverbs Brueghel packed in. The joke is that everyone’s doing the opposite of what they should, like talking through their hats. The painting works like a giant visual riddle. Brueghel loved hiding meanings in plain sight, making us look twice. Next time, check out another artist who loved busy scenes like this: try Pieter Brueghel I.
Pieter Bruegel (also Brueghel or Breughel) the Elder ( BROY-gəl, US also BROO-gəl; Dutch: ; c.
See the richer artist page
