Art: The Peasant Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The Peasant Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder is a depiction of the peasant life in the late 1500’s. He was particularly interested in how they lived, dated, married, ate, dressed and relaxed. It was a life that fascinated him but also was part of his very core existence. To Bruegel it was a simple life that focused on the day’s happenings and seemed a natural existence connected to nature. 

The scene is lively and the painter is well known for his humanist pictures. The people within the painting are larger than life which appears to embolden their lives. Bruegel seems to be trying to make distance from himself and his peasant background by painting the figures oafish by nature.  He moved his way up the social ladder and continued to be fascinated by the way the peasants lived due to his deep connection with them. 

The painting shows a Madonna on the tree that appears to be ignored as the peasants engage in their fun. The life of the present, now, and materialism has made their way into his work in an apparent rejection of the spiritual realm. Some have argued that the deadly sins (i.e. hitting each other on the table) are all depicted within the painting somewhere with greed gluttony and lust being most prominent.   

Pieter Bruegel is a Flemish Renaissance painter born in Netherlands from 1525-1569. He was born at a time when Europe was in dramatic change. It was when Italy was at its highest artistic development and great masters like Leonard di Vinci and Michelangelo were cranking out their works. Humanism was part of human development in which people thought that humans were generally good and able to socially solve problems. All things were rooted in human nature and its capacities.

Over 1,400 Stolen Famous Art Pieces Found in Munich

Village Girl with Goat-Lost Art Piece

Authorities found long lost art by famous masters such as Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse and Otto Dix in a Munich apartment. It is believed that such works were stolen during the Nazi Era and disappeared into the ashes of history. The total value of the 1,400 pieces seized could easily be over a billion dollars sparking interest from a variety of groups and parties. 

Most of the works are well preserved and part of the list called “degenerative art” that the regime felt were not in alignment with local culture. Such art was often either removed or destroyed in an attempt to provide what was seen at the time as a purer culture. Some artists were fined or jailed for breaking cease and desist orders on their painting activities. 

When art was seized sometimes it was sold overseas for hundreds of millions of dollars. The regime would hire someone to help sell the art and remove it from the country. It is believed that the holder’s father was hired to do just that. He was discovered with a large stash of cash and a search warrant discovered the source. 

As no major lists have been released it makes a number of major art enthusiasts wonder precisely what the paintings are and who the original owners were. Many great masterpieces offered to the world at one time may change the nature of the art market in a profound way through the discovery of lost work and techniques. Despite the recent hidden find it is possible others are out there just under someone’s kitchen floor, root cellar or in a secret basement doorway. 

More Reading: 

New York Times 

The Globe and Mail

USA Today

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