Belgium · 450th anniversary of the death of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Pieter Bruegel der Ältere)

Issue date24 Jan 2019

Total mintage155,000

EU maximum155,000

Editions4

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

InscriptionP. Bruegel / 1569 / 2019 / BE / LL

DesignerLuc Luycx

mintKoninklijke Nederlandse Munt, Utrecht

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the 450th anniversary of the death of the Belgian painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. The design shows his portrait next to a painting on an easel; above them are the name “P. Bruegel” and the year 1569 with a discreet cross as an indication of his year of death. The inner part of the coin is surrounded by small dots.

The design

In the inner part of the coin, the portrait of the famous Belgian painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder is depicted together with a painting on an easel. Above it are the name P. Bruegel, the year 1569 with a subtle cross indicating the year of death, and the year of issue 2019.

As Royal Dutch Mint will strike the coins, the mintmark of Utrecht, a caduceus, and the Belgian mint master's mark, the coat of arms of the municipality of Herzele, are shown on the left, together with the country code BE. The initials “LL” of the coin designer Luc Luycx are shown on the right. The inner part of the coin is surrounded by small dots.

The outer ring of the coin depicts the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

Pieter Bruegel der Ältere belongs to the Dutch Renaissance. The term “Dutch” here refers to the historical Netherlands, which in the 16th century also included the territory of present-day Belgium. A Belgian state did not yet exist during Bruegel’s lifetime. His exact date and place of birth are not certain; he was probably born between 1525 and 1530.

Bruegel was admitted as a master to the Antwerp Lukasgilde in 1551. At the time, Antwerpen was a trading centre and also an important location for the art trade and printmaking. After travelling across the Alps to Italy, Bruegel worked, among others, for the Antwerp publisher Hieronymus Cock. Copper engravings based on his designs brought his pictorial ideas to a larger audience. He later moved to Brüssel, where he lived until his death. He was buried in the Kapellenkirche there.

Bruegel is known for landscapes, depictions of peasant life, and religious and allegorical scenes. His works include “The Hunters in the Snow” (“Die Jäger im Schnee”), “The Peasant Wedding” (“Die Bauernhochzeit”), “The Tower of Babel” (“Der Turmbau zu Babel”) and “The Triumph of Death” (“Der Triumph des Todes”). His paintings often combine numerous individual figures and everyday activities into expansive compositions. Peasant festivals, work, games and seasonal activities do not appear merely as incidental details, but as central subjects of the images. The widespread designation “Bauernbruegel” nevertheless falls short, as his work also encompasses biblical subjects, observations of nature and moral allegories.

Bruegel lived in a period shaped by religious conflicts and political repression. The Habsburg-ruled Netherlands were the scene of the Reformation, the Iconoclasm and the countermeasures of Spanish rule. Against this background, individual works are interpreted politically or confessionally; however, definite statements about Bruegel’s personal views are scarcely possible.

The Belgian commemoration is connected to Bruegel’s activities in Antwerpen and Brüssel and to his position within the cultural heritage of the southern Netherlands. His sons Pieter Brueghel der Jüngere and Jan Brueghel der Ältere also continued the family’s painting tradition.