Art Across the Ages, A Selection of Treasured Works
The Battle of the Moneybags and the Strongboxes
Gallery:
313 Occidental Ave. S.
Seattle, Washington
206-624-1324
From Inventory Sheet:
ID #01_009_2015_00913
Additional Information
Engraved from a drawing executed by the prominent Northern Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel, the image links greed and obsessive materialism to war. In doing so, the Flemish artist may have been alluding to the thriving commercial culture in the city of Antwerp, where Bruegel resided.
Additional information provided by Bostin Svehovic:
Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Netherlandish, ca. 1525-1569)
The Battle of the Moneybags and Strongboxes, after 1570
Engraving
Pieter Bruegel the Elder was a member of a very artistic family based in the Netherlands in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He was born in Breda, Netherlands between 1525 and 1530, and settled early in Antwerp, Belgium for the majority of his art career. He died on September 5th, 1569.
Bruegel’s career consisted of paintings and designs for engraving. He lived in a time where art was heavily influenced by Italian eccentricity and was transitioning towards depictions of reality. In this piece, Bruegel displays his gothic style through the use of detailed imagery that is packed with ideas of war, greed, and materialistic lifestyles.