Nationality

Netherlandish

Artist Dates

c. 1525-1569

Preview

image preview

Date of Work

after 1570

Medium

Engraving

Height

8 5/8"

Width

10 1/2"

Collection/Provenance

Art & Design Study Collection

From Gallery Card:

Davidson Galleries

Pieter BRUEGEL (Dutch, 1525-1569)

Le Combat des Tire-Lires ed des Coffres-Forts (The Battle of the Money-bags and Strong-boxes)

Engraving by Pieter Van Der Heyden

Strong impression. Small loss top edge. Tear top right corner. Bottom right edge replaced. Small surface losses. 1/2 inch tear bottom edge center. Old hinges and tape along top edge. Descriptive panel cropped off.

Bastelaer 146a.

8-5/8 x 10-1/2 in

[42482]

Status

Displayed

Location

Columbia Hall, Honors Department

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.

Included in 'Art Across the Ages: A Selection of Treasured Works'

Condition

Very good

Share

COinS