Father and Son; How Jan Brueghel the Younger Followed in His Father's Footsteps

    Son of a famous and talented painter and born into an artistic dynasty, Jan Brueghel the Younger followed in his father’s footsteps. He was a talented painter who continued the Brueghel family artistic dynasty, though generally thought not to be of the same caliber as his father. When Jan Brueghel the Elder died in 1625, Jan Brueghel the Younger took over his father's workshop that same year. He quickly began to copy his father's pieces and create new works in the same style, attempting to follow in the success of his father. He successfully ran the family business for many years, even working with the very talented friend and colleague of his father, Peter Paul Rubens. Also of note is the similarities in father and son’s practices. They collaborated with the same people, and both specialized in landscapes rather than figures. They often share allegorical and religious themes too.

    This collection is a testament to Jan Brueghel the Elder's influence on his son as well as a primary motivation of Jan Brueghel the Younger: market trends. As you examine these pieces, note the remarkable similarities between the two artists, especially regarding landscapes and flowers.

  Even in his success, he largely followed his father's established footsteps to satisfy the market. While at first, it may seem that Jan Brueghel the Younger's paintings should be less valued because he imitates his father's work, it no less decreases the skill required to create these vibrant and lively artworks. Jan Brueghel the Younger follows in his father's tradition and finds success in his father's footsteps. In a world full of passing and fleeting things, there is value to be found in following his father's established tradition and maintaining the family business well.

Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens, The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man, c. 1615, 74.3cm x 114.7 cm, Oil on Panel, Mauritshuis The Hague, room 2, From:https://www.mauritshuis.nl

    Collaboration between Masters was common during the 1600s because painters often specialized in landscapes or figures; Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625) and Peter Paul Reubens (1577-1640), in addition to being frequent collaborators, were also good friends. They made several works similar to this together to showcase what each artist had to offer. Brueghel created the composition while Rubens began the sketch of the painting in thin paint and completed the tree, horse, and serpent, while Brueghel completed the plants and other animals. While Ruben's brush strokes are broader than Brueghel's, Brueghel painted with such smoothness and attention to detail that he was nicknamed "Velvet Brueghel." Brueghel was born into an artistic family and his children continued in his path as well, creating one of the most famous dynasties of Flemish painters.

Jan Brueghel the Younger and Circle of Peter Paul Rubens, Golden Age, c. 1625, Oil on panel, 38 x 59.2 cm, The Leiden Collection, From: https://www.theleidencollection.com

    This idyllic painting, depicting a world of harmony, was inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses (7 AD), in which the "Golden Age" was one of only four periods where humanity was inherently good. The leopards are considered the work of Jan Brueghel the Younger (1601-78) and are based on models found in paintings by his father (see The Garden of Eden above!). An unknown artist may have executed the landscape in either artist's workshop. (Because both artists had such large workshops, it is challenging to identify artists' hands.) In 1625 Jan Brueghel the Elder died in a cholera epidemic, and soon after his death, Jan Brueghel the Younger took over his father's busy Antwerp studio. This painting, created the year his father died, illustrates how quickly he adopted many of his father's practices, from the leopards to working with his father's friend and colleague, Rubens. Jan Brueghel the Younger's attempt to stay close to his father's established success will continue to be a theme throughout his work.

Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flowers in a Basket and a Vase, c. 1615, Oil on Panel, 55.2 x 89.1 cm, The National Gallery of Art, From: nga.gov

    Floral still lifes were extremely popular, and Jan Brueghel the Elder was one of the best in the genre. Kings and princes highly valued his meticulous paintings, and his highly detailed paintings earned him the nickname "Flower Brueghel" in addition to "Velvet Brueghel." Brueghel's attention to detail came from his belief that nature illustrated God's greatness and his desire to convey that through his work. Often floral paintings like these were considered "vanitas" paintings and were intended to remind the viewer of the fleetingness of life and of flowers. Often butterflies represented resurrection, while other insects had many different interpretations. It would have been impossible for Brueghel to have painted this particular arrangement from life since the tulips and columbines bloom in spring, the roses bloom in early summer, and the anemones bloom in fall. The choice to represent these flowers despite being out of season reflects Brueghel's belief that God's blessings are found in nature.

Jan Brueghel the Younger, A Basket of Flowers, Probably 1620s, Oil on Wood, 47 x 68.3 cm, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, From metmuseum.org, 67.187.58

    Jan Brueghel the Younger often copied his father's paintings because of their popularity in the market, even signing his father's name to a few of his own reproductions. Because of how often he copied his father, it can be challenging to identify which paintings are his and which are his father's. There is good reason to believe that this particular piece was the work of Jan Brueghel the Younger because of changes in style and, some claim, a certain "weakness" in skill compared to his father. Still, this painting is a remarkable example of the popular “vanitas” genre, full of detail and packed with luscious texture. The many fallen flowers and the butterfly at the highest point of the composition add to its “vanitas" meaning.

Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flowers in a Wooden Vessel, 1606-1607, Oil on Panel, 97.5 cm × 73 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria, From: https://www.khm.at

    Flowers in a Wooden Vessel was painted for Archduke Albert VII of the Spanish Netherlands and became one of the most famous paintings of its kind in Europe. Jan Brueghel the Elder often tried to get as many flowers as possible in one painting, and this piece is an excellent example of that. The arrangement is entirely fictitious in its perfect arrangement, but it also contains many flowers that would not bloom at the same time. This painting continues the vanitas theme with the occasional wilted or damaged flower and the use of insects and butterflies. The sheer abundance found in the arrangement can also be traced back to Brueghel's theology that the abundance of nature shows God's goodness. Despite the fictitious arrangement of flowers, the attention to detail and commitment to accuracy borders on scientific.

Jan Brueghel the Younger, Bouquet of Flowers in a Faience Vase, c. 1625, oil on oak, 73 x 54.6cm, National Gallery of Canada, From: gallery.ca 

    Jan Brueghel the Younger continued throughout his life to attempt to maintain the market's favor by staying close to his father's established and popular style. Because of the significant similarity between father and son, this painting was initially purchased by the National Gallery of Canada in 1963 as the work of Jan Brueghel the Elder. Eventually, they changed the attribution to Jan Brueghel the Younger upon a better understanding of both men's work. The woman on the vase is water personified and was a favorite of both men (see the Landscape with allegories of the four elements).

Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens, The Sense of Smell, c. 1617-1618, Oil on Panel, 66.5 x 110cm, Room 083 Museo del Prado, From: https://www.museodelprado.es

    This painting of Venus and Cupid, a common subject in Flemish paintings, surrounded by a garden of flowers, was also a collaboration between Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens executed the figures, while Brueghel created the lush and extravagant garden scene. The Flemish loved flowers, and Brueghel skillfully depicted lilies, roses, hollyhocks, and the Flemish favorite, tulips. The flower's sweet scent overcomes the smell of the Civet Cat next to Venus (a spotted skunk), which is present to remind that not all smells are pleasant. Interestingly, Jan Brueghel the Younger created a similar painting with minimal deviations from the original in 1625, the year his father died.

Jan Brueghel the Younger and Frans Francken the Younger, Landscape with Allegories of the Four Elements, c. 1635, Oil on Panel, 52.7 x 81.3 cm, Getty Center, From: https://www.getty.edu

    The market demanded large, meticulously detailed pieces in the style of Jan Brueghel the Elder, and the subject of the four elements was prevalent among Flemish artists. Jan Brueghel the Younger completed many pieces about the Four elements as well as many allegorical pieces, which leads us to believe they were popular in the marketplace. In this piece, we also see the division of figure painting and landscape painting between two artists. Frans Francken II painted the four women representing water, fire, air, and earth, and the landscape was completed by Jan Brueghel the Younger. Even as Jan Brueghel the Younger moves into a piece more unique to himself, Jan Brueghel the Elder’s influence is evident through the style of flowers (compare these flowers to those in The Sense of Smell), style of foliage on the trees, and even composition.