Peasant Wedding (1568) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Peasant Wedding - Pieter Bruegel the Elder - 1568

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Artwork Information

TitlePeasant Wedding
ArtistPieter Bruegel the Elder
Date1568
Mediumoil,panel
Dimensions114 x 164 cm
Art MovementNorthern Renaissance
Current LocationKunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

About Peasant Wedding

Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s “Peasant Wedding,” a renowned work of art from 1567, is a genre painting that captures the essence of peasant life during the Dutch and Flemish Renaissance. This masterpiece, housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, is one of many depictions by Bruegel that explore the daily lives of peasants. The artist, often referred to as ‘Peasant-Bruegel,’ was an intellectual whose paintings frequently carried symbolic meanings and moral aspects.

The painting presents a vivid scene of a 16th-century peasant wedding feast set in a barn during summertime. At the center of this celebration is the bride, seated silently in front of a green cloth with a paper crown above her head, as per Flemish custom which dictated that she neither eat nor speak before the evening when the groom would join. The groom’s presence is not immediately apparent, leading to various interpretations of his role or absence in the painting.

Bruegel’s composition includes porters carrying plates on a door taken off its hinges, while the main fare consists of bread, porridge, and soup. Two pipers play the pijpzak, contributing to the festive atmosphere. An unbreeched boy licks a plate in the foreground, a wealthy man converses with a Franciscan friar, and a dog scavenges for food under the table. These details provide an accurate portrayal of the customs of the time.

Despite its seemingly straightforward depiction of a wedding, the painting has been subject to diverse interpretations. Some see it as a reflection of ordinary and comfortable life filled with sincere emotion, while others view it as a critique of gluttony and self-indulgence, suggesting a moral judgment on the part of Bruegel. There are also suggestions that the painting carries allegorical meanings, such as a connection to the biblical Wedding of Cana or a representation of the corrupted Church as the bride of Christ without the groom.

Bruegel’s artistic style in “Peasant Wedding” is characterized by the use of monumental Italianate figures, a hallmark of his late style. His technique included impasto, creating a more graphic and thicker painting technique with prominent facial structures achieved through the thickness of the material.

Overall, “Peasant Wedding” stands as a testament to Bruegel’s ability to capture the social and cultural context of his time, offering a window into the customs, celebrations, and underlying societal critiques of the Renaissance period.

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