A Basket of Flowers

Jan Brueghel the Younger prints bring the richly detailed paradise gardens, flower garlands, animals and landscapes of Flemish Baroque painting into your home. Son of Jan Brueghel the Elder and grandson of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, he took over his father's busy Antwerp workshop and carried on its subjects in his own looser style. Our collection of fine art prints covers his allegories, garlands, landscapes and still lifes.

About Jan Brueghel the Younger

Jan Brueghel the Younger was born in Antwerp on 13 September 1601, the son of the painter Jan Brueghel the Elder and grandson of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. He trained in his father's workshop; his father was a close friend and collaborator of Rubens. Around 1622 he travelled to Italy, visiting his father's patron Cardinal Federico Borromeo in Milan, then staying with his cousins the de Wael brothers in Genoa, where Anthony van Dyck was also working, and later working in Malta and Palermo.

In Turin he learned that his father had died of cholera in January 1625. He hurried home, took over the workshop, sold and finished his father's paintings, and became a master of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke. In 1626 he married Anna Maria Janssens, daughter of the history painter Abraham Janssens. He became dean of the guild in 1630 and painted a series on Adam for the French court.

Later he worked in Paris in the 1650s and for the Austrian court, before settling again in Antwerp in 1657. In 1672 an injury to his eye in a quarrel with another guild member affected his ability to paint. He died in Antwerp on 1 September 1678. His pupils included his sons and his nephew Jan van Kessel.

Style and Subjects

Jan the Younger painted many of the same subjects as his father, but gradually developed a broader, more painterly and less tightly structured manner. Around 340 paintings are attributed to him: allegories of the senses and elements, paradise landscapes full of animals, mythological and biblical scenes, village scenes and visions of the underworld. He also created a new type of painting showing animals in landscapes.

Like his father, he often collaborated with other Antwerp painters, adding landscapes and flower garlands around their figures, and he reworked compositions by his grandfather Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Famous Works

• A Basket of Flowers (c. 1624), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A rich spring bouquet from the start of his career.
• Aeneas and the Sibyl in the Underworld (c. 1630), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A fiery vision of the underworld from Virgil.
• Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (1628), National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. A biblical scene set among abundant food and flowers.
• Paradise with the Creation of Eve (1638), Städel Museum, Frankfurt. Eden full of animals and trees, with the creation of Eve.
• Satire on Tulipomania (c. 1640), Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem. A satire on the tulip craze that gripped the Netherlands.
• Farmyard (c. 1650), Louvre, Paris. A rural scene with animals, one of his new animal subjects.
• Allegory of Sight (Venus and Cupid in a Picture Gallery) (c. 1660), Philadelphia Museum of Art. A gallery crammed with paintings and treasures.

Decorating with Brueghel Prints

Jan Brueghel the Younger's flower garlands and baskets, like The Madonna and Child Surrounded by a Floral Garland, suit a dining room, entrance hall or bedroom, and their jewel-like colours look rich against dark walls.

The Five Senses series makes a striking set for a long wall or hallway, and the paradise and Noah's Ark landscapes, crowded with animals, are fun choices for a family room or library.

FAQ

How is Jan Brueghel the Younger related to Pieter Bruegel the Elder?

He was Pieter Bruegel the Elder's grandson and the son of Jan Brueghel the Elder, both leading Flemish painters. His uncle was Pieter Brueghel the Younger.

What did Jan Brueghel the Younger paint?

He painted allegories, paradise and animal landscapes, mythological and biblical scenes, flower garlands, village scenes and visions of the underworld, often in his father's manner.

What is the Satire on Tulipomania?

It is a satirical painting of around 1640 that makes fun of the speculation in tulips known as tulip mania. One version is in the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem.

Where can I see his paintings?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Prado, the Louvre, the Hermitage, the Städel Museum and the Frans Hals Museum all hold his work.

Related Artists

• Jan Brueghel the Elder: his father and teacher
• Pieter Bruegel the Elder: his grandfather, whose compositions he reworked
• Pieter Brueghel the Younger: his uncle
• Anthony van Dyck: Antwerp friend who was in Genoa and Palermo at the same time
• Peter Paul Rubens: his father's close friend and collaborator