Netherlandish Proverbs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder 1559 oil on oak. Museum Island -Berlin
So what’s so terrific about this piece?
Well, there is just so much going on, it is the sort of painting you could look at for hours (days, months, years?) and still keep noticing little things.
Each person in the painting is acting out a well known Dutch proverb (of course some are just as valid in english). I especially enjoy the life given to each face from the bemused to the gormless.
There are several websites which will point out each proverb in the painting, for an overview of the piece see the Wikipedia page.
Did you know-Pieter Brueghel the Younger made many copies of his fathers painting, sometimes changing the shown proverbs.
Can you spot- Man banging his head against a brick wall? or The blind leading the blind?