Show me:
and
Clear all filters

  • 33 items
  • 25 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 3,554 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 14 items
  • 4 items
  • 220 items
  • 14,167 items Explore
  • 211 items Explore
  • 1,230 items Explore
  • 8,899 items Explore
  • 5,034 items Explore
  • 62 items Explore
  • 165 items Explore
  • 13,201 items Explore
  • 13,620 items Explore
  • 4,802 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 5 items
  • 149 items Explore
  • 2,002 items Explore
  • 4,759 items Explore
  • 438 items Explore
  • 267 items
  • 103 items Explore
  • 19,992 items Explore
  • 36 items Explore
  • 1,921 items Explore
  • 1,083 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 2,248 items Explore
  • 456 items Explore
  • 918 items Explore
  • 1 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 7 items
  • 20,491 items Explore
  • 800 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 73 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 792 items
  • 20 items
  • 4 items
  • 26 items
  • 61 items
  • 28 items
  • 320 items Explore
  • 6 items
  • 53 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 2 items
  • 2 items
  • 7 items
  • 122 items Explore
  • 119 items
  • 1 items
  • 925 items Explore
  • 724 items
  • 95 items
  • 38,168 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,880 items Explore
  • 1,533 items Explore
  • 403 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 10,772 items Explore
  • 9,683 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1 items
  • 38 items
  • 3 items
  • 4 items
  • 6,781 items Explore
  • 7,364 items Explore
  • 5,217 items Explore
  • 2,005 items Explore
  • 1,195 items Explore
  • 24,695 items Explore
  • 3,547 items Explore
  • 17 items
  • 5 items
  • 334 items
  • 107 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,329 items Explore
  • 24 items Explore
  • 374 items Explore
  • 796 items Explore
  • 1,088 items Explore
  • 514 items Explore
  • 1,821 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 6,953 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 108 items
  • 4 items
  • 2 items
  • 128 items
  • 2 items
  • 2,931 items Explore
  • 1,489 items Explore
  • 203 items
  • 90 items
  • 22,318 items Explore
  • 1,347 items Explore
  • 138 items
  • 849 items Explore
  • 32 items
  • 1 items
  • 122 items Explore
  • 40 items
  • 16 items
  • 252 items
  • 314 items
  • 688 items Explore
  • 344 items Explore
  • 2,429 items
  • 2,535 items
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,395 items Explore
  • 40,362 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,292 items Explore
  • 275 items Explore
  • 8,897 items Explore
  • 31 items
  • 25 items
  • 304 items Explore
  • 777 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 65 items
  • 161 items
  • 50 items
  • 52 items
  • 24,440 items Explore
  • 916 items
  • 65 items
  • 22,850 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 2,338 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1,029 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 759 items
  • 515 items
  • 4 items
  • 3,308 items Explore
  • 180 items
  • 59 items
  • 455 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 21 items
  • 90 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 281 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 6 items
  • 133 items
  • 295 items
  • 447 items
  • 283 items
  • 1 items
  • 906 items Explore
  • 276 items Explore
  • 511 items
  • 11,300 items Explore
  • 755 items Explore
  • 6,024 items Explore
  • 8,517 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,986 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 3,725 items Explore
  • 9,182 items Explore
  • 7,883 items Explore
  • 182 items
  • 19 items
  • 152 items
  • 7 items
  • 855 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 8 items
  • 1,096 items Explore
  • 270 items
  • 1 items
  • 2,250 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,543 items Explore
  • 694 items Explore
  • 18 items
  • 134 items
  • 6,739 items Explore
  • 95 items
  • 18,932 items Explore
  • 3,137 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 7 items
  • 11,005 items Explore
  • 37 items
  • 2 items
  • 21,475 items Explore
  • 35 items
  • 13,325 items Explore
  • 3,459 items Explore
  • 5,644 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 52,542 items Explore
  • 41 items
  • 646 items Explore
  • 417 items
  • 26,949 items Explore
  • 216 items
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 35 items
  • 27 items
  • 445 items Explore
  • 636 items
  • 217 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 13,765 items Explore
  • 1,395 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 10,260 items
  • 9 items
  • 10 items
  • 14 items
  • 25 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,542 items Explore
  • 913 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 316 items
  • 504 items Explore
  • 42 items
  • 2,289 items Explore
  • 1,671 items Explore
  • 15 items
  • 1,877 items Explore
  • 150 items
  • 80 items
  • 766 items Explore
  • 3,089 items Explore
  • 40 items
  • 17 items
  • 12 items
  • 10,670 items Explore
  • 23,808 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 2 items
  • 41 items
  • 1,379 items
  • 177 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 92 items
  • 2 items
  • 1 items
  • 13,587 items Explore
  • 3,748 items Explore
  • 2,904 items Explore
  • 4,537 items Explore
  • 22 items
  • 30 items
  • 6,910 items Explore
  • 4,842 items Explore
  • 2,300 items Explore
  • 2,818 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 1,899 items Explore
  • 191 items
  • 223 items Explore
  • 421 items Explore
  • 6,113 items Explore
  • 8,729 items Explore
  • 1,837 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,943 items Explore
  • 3,354 items Explore
  • 11,122 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 86 items
  • 11 items
  • 2,517 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 24 items
  • 51 items
  • 6 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,148 items Explore
  • 611 items Explore
  • 75 items
  • 17 items
  • 155 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 95 items Explore
  • 458 items
  • 2 items
  • 996 items Explore
  • 3,613 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 5 items
  • 10,564 items Explore
  • 48 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 7 items
  • 42 items
  • 3 items
  • 13,808 items Explore
  • 1,167 items Explore
  • 92 items
  • 10,568 items Explore
  • 1,921 items
  • 18 items
  • 6,073 items Explore
  • 21 items
  • 12,948 items Explore
  • 1,418 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 6,185 items Explore
  • 14,897 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1,667 items Explore
  • 181 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 16 items
  • 5,681 items Explore
  • 12,285 items Explore
  • 48 items
  • 25 items
  • 2 items
  • 3 items
  • 7,194 items Explore
  • 357 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 6 items
  • 103 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 5 items
  • 485 items
  • 688 items Explore
  • 8,409 items Explore
  • 63 items
  • 1 items
  • 7,347 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 26 items
  • 5,034 items Explore
  • 428 items
  • 339 items Explore
  • 12,713 items Explore
  • 55 items
  • 20 items
  • 7 items
  • 4 items
  • 325 items Explore
  • 427 items
  • 458 items
  • 3,687 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1,245 items Explore
  • 2,503 items Explore
  • 1,626 items Explore
  • 36 items
  • 1,139 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 24 items
  • 225 items Explore
  • 80,502 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,139 items Explore
  • 2,820 items Explore
  • 24 items
  • 5,352 items Explore
  • 1,831 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 17,513 items Explore
  • 4,931 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 7 items
  • 631 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 31 items
  • 1 items
  • 76 items
  • 29 items
  • 86 items
  • 3 items
  • 1,175 items Explore
  • 109 items
  • 805 items
  • 13,224 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 13 items
  • 1,709 items Explore
  • 217 items
  • 17,039 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 17 items
  • 1 items
  • 8 items
  • 324 items
  • 2 items
  • 632 items Explore
  • 1,592 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 1,129 items Explore
  • 389 items
  • 2 items
  • 354 items

Select a time period

Or choose a specific year

Clear all filters

The Dormition of the Virgin

Pieter Brueghel the Elder (Breda c.1525 - Brussels 1569)

Category

Art / Oil paintings

Date

circa 1564

Materials

Oil on panel (oak)

Measurements

677 x 853 x 126 mm

Place of origin

Netherlands

Order this image

Collection

Upton House, Warwickshire

NT 446749

Caption

This 'grisaille', or grey monochrome painting, shows the death of the Virgin, attended by the Apostles and other figures. In earlier versions of this subject, mourners had always been limited to the apostolic number of twelve. The subject has been developed by Bruegel into a natural or domestic event, to which numerous men and women are admitted. The picture once belonged to the famous geographer, Abraham Ortelius (1527-98). It was owned later by Rubens and is, in all probability, the Bruegel listed in the inventory taken after Rubens's death in 1641.

Summary

Oil painting on oak panel, The Dormition of the Virgin by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Breda or Bruegel c. 1525 - Brussels 1569), c. 1564, signed in brown pigment, lower right corner of the chest in front of the Virgin’s bed: BRVEGEL. The Virgin Mary, sitting up in bed in a darkened room, receives a lit candle from an elderly man, Saint Peter, who stands right, wearing a chasuble, amongst a group of kneeling Disciples. Mary Magdalene arranges the Virgin's pillows whilst the Virgin looks at a Crucifix propped up on a pillow at the foot of the bed, a kneeling monk ringing a bell beside. Across the room, beside a fire and before a messy table covered with plates and cups, a man, possibly Saint John, sleeps upright and open-mouthed in a chair. The room is unevenly lit from four sources; the candle, the torches placed high up on a carved wooded frieze between the bed and the door, a candle on the table and the taper held by Saint Peter. The scene shows the death or 'dormition' (falling asleep into death, without suffering) of the Virgin Mary.

Full description

Infrared reflectography revealed a limited amount of underdrawing, which appears to have been applied with brushes, and several compositional changes: the woman plumping the Virgin’s pillow was drawn to our right of the painted figure and her right arm was drawn and reserved lower; the cat’s rump was drawn and reserved slightly to the right of the painted animal; in the curtain behind the Virgin, underdrawn lines may perhaps show Bruegel conceiving a smaller bed seen in a different perspective; and the bed curtains behind St Peter were thus painted in slightly different positions and were differently lit. Tolnay writes that the inspiration for the composition is derived from a miniature, La Mort, in the Grimani Breviary, painted by Simon Bening and his workshop between 1505 and 1510 (repd. by Tolnay, pl. 153 and Gibson, pl.94). Schongauer’s influential engraving of the Death of the Virgin (see impression in British Museum, London, inv.no. 1868,0822.153) may also have proved a source for the group of Apostles around the bed. Grisailles are extremely rare amongst Bruegel’s oeuvre, although another, of Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery, can be found in The Courtauld Gallery, London(inv.no. L1275).

Provenance

Abraham Ortelius (1527-98),1590; Isabella Brant (1591-1626), first wife of Sir Peter Paul Rubens, 1641; Jean-Baptiste Anthoine, Antwerp, 1691; Robert Langton Douglas (1864-1951), circa 1930; Lord Lee of Fareham (1868-1947), 1930, from whom it was acquired by Lord Bearsted the same year; given with Upton House to the National Trust by Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted (1882 – 1948), in 1948, shortly before his death.

Credit line

Upton House, The Bearsted Collection (National Trust)

Marks and inscriptions

Verso: written in ink: ouden (?) B[r]eugh[e]l followed by a series of illegible marks (numbers?)

Makers and roles

Pieter Brueghel the Elder (Breda c.1525 - Brussels 1569), artist

Exhibition history

Bruegel in Black and White: Three Grisailles Reunited, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, 2016, no.1 New Light on Old Masters, Squash Court Gallery, 2013

References

Constable 1930 W.G. Constable, ‘Northern Painting in the Lee Collection’, International Studio, March 1930, pp.41, repd., 43 Glück 1930 G. Glück, ‘A newly-discovered Painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder’, Burlington Magazine, LVI, 1930, pp.284-86, repd.; Popham 1931 A.E. Popham, ‘Pieter Brueghel and Abraham Ortelius’, Burlington Magazine, LIX, 1931, pp.184-8 Michel 1931 E. Michel, Brueghel, Paris, 1931, pp.85-86, pl.58 Glück, 1932 G. Glück, Brueghel’s Gemälde, Vienna, 1932, p.62, no.16 repd. Tolnay 1935 C. de Tolnay, Pierre Brueghel L’Ancien, Brussels, 1935, pp.51-2, 92, no.38, pl.148 Friedländer 1937: Max J. Friedländer, Die altniederländische malerei, 14 vols., Berlin and Leiden, 1924-37; trans. Early Netherlandish Painting, New York, 1967-76, vol. XIV, pp.29, 60, no.23, pl. XXIII; Grossmann 1952 F. Grossmann, ‘Brueghel’s Woman taken in Adultery and other Grisailles’, Burlington Magazine, XCIV, 1952, pp.221 ff. (passim), repd., p.227, no.6; Bruegel in Black and White: Three Grisailles Reunited (Ed. Karen Serres), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 4th February to 8th May 2016, Cat. 1, pp. 18

View more details

Related articles