Children’s Games (1560) by Pieter Bruegel

Children's Games - Pieter Bruegel - 1560

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Artwork Information

TitleChildren's Games
ArtistPieter Bruegel
Date1560
MediumOil on Panel
Dimensions118 x 161 cm
Art MovementNorthern Renaissance
Current LocationKunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
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About Children's Games

Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s “Children’s Games,” painted in 1560, is an iconic oil-on-panel painting showcased at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It portrays a lively and detailed scene of over 90 games played by children, with more than 250 kids depicted in the painting. These activities range from gentle to rough play, including board games, tag, blind man’s bluff, leapfrog, and ball games.

The size of the painting is medium-sized at dimensions of 118 × 161 centimeters (46 × 63 inches). However, it contains a wealth of information regarding how Dutch youth spent their leisure time during that era. The painting aims to provide an encyclopedic view of children’s games available at that time. Moreover, it features over two hundred finely rendered figures portrayed with exceptional attention to detail.

Bruegel was a renowned Dutch and Flemish painter who specialized in peasant life depictions and landscapes. This work is one exemplar since it demonstrates his deep understanding of daily existence during his period. As such, “Children’s Games” provides us with insights into social structures prevalent during the mid-sixteenth century Netherlandish society.

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