Let's do another painting review. I'm just going to look at a nice old painting and share what I notice. This time perhaps the most famous winter painting by a Dutch master; Hunters in the Snow, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565. Let's look! 🧵 - ThreadSky

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social • 91 days ago

Let's do another painting review.
I'm just going to look at a nice old painting and share what I notice.
This time perhaps the most famous winter painting by a Dutch master;
Hunters in the Snow, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565.
Let's look!
🧵

Comments

aquartist.bsky.social•91 days ago

Wow. So much going on in this painting. Thank you for breaking it down.

newenglandcoaster.bsky.social•89 days ago

It must have taken hundreds of sketches to paint this, I venture.

penguingalaxy.bsky.social•91 days ago

Having moved from rainy UK to snowy Sweden, I see that and worry about slipping on that snowy slope down into the river!

dutchben.bsky.social•91 days ago

The skating scenes are very Dutch, but the mountains in the distance are clearly imagined

aelredjohn.bsky.social•91 days ago

Cheers. That was great.

longlazylewisham.bsky.social•91 days ago

Loved this thread. Have you read Headlong by Michael Frayn? Bruegel's paintings are central to the story.

breneke.bsky.social•91 days ago

This is wonderful! You've pointed out so many details (or explained others) that I had missed. I was lucky enough to see this painting in Vienna a couple of years ago - thrilling because he is one of my (and my Belgian husband's) favorite painters. His paintings take you back to another world.

breneke.bsky.social•91 days ago

📌

stefbauras.bsky.social•91 days ago

I love the style von Bruegel very much. Thanks for explaining.

flicksfan.bsky.social•91 days ago

Tarkovsky featured this painting in the alien sterile world of the spacecraft in his 'Solaris'
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/as-seen-on-solaris-tarkovsky-bruegel-2453923

odduck.bsky.social•91 days ago

I thought I recognized this painting from Solaris! Thanks for confirming!

laslocravensworth.bsky.social•91 days ago

Did they play hockey when this was painted? Lots of hockey sticks

nicluc.bsky.social•91 days ago

OMG This was hanging in my house growing up

kleinkid7.bsky.social•91 days ago

An uncle I’ve seen maybe 12 times in my life has a print of this hanging in his home. Visited him last month & a few of us had a good half hour chat about the picture. What is that phenomenon where you learn about something and then see it again and again shortly after?

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

Little background first, the painting was made during the small ice age, temperatures in Europe were on average about 1-2 degrees lower than today and this resulted in very cold and white winters, which are rare here today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

For several centuries people were used to cold winters with lots of snow and ice and we see this in lots of art of the time.
The wonderful paintings, but it might also be the reason why we're still obsessed with White Christmases and why Charles Dickens remembered snowy winters.

rosaeaton.bsky.social•91 days ago

Charles Dicken’s childhood had 9 out of 10 of his childhood christmasses were snowy which was a freak weather thing so your theory seems lightly.

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

Anyway, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was Dutch (yay) and made tons of amazing art.
So let's get to this famous painting.
Snoop along here;
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/WgFmzFNNN74nUg
First things first, the most important part of the painting; DOGS, all good boys.

simpleabonne.bsky.social•91 days ago

"Pieter Bruegel the Elder was Dutch": fake history ! Everyone (in Belgium) knows he was born and died on what's now Belgium 🙄😉

thenordictralala.bsky.social•91 days ago

Hjs name is Bruegel. Not Brugueule. He’s dutch.

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

Yes but Belgium is Dutch, they're just in denial about it ;)

simpleabonne.bsky.social•91 days ago

😱😱😱😏

max-renn.bsky.social•91 days ago

Haha ! 😉 Now I know why we kicked the Dutches’ ass out of the country 200 years ago. Thanks for the insightful thread.

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

The painting shows us hunters returning, it has not been a fruitful hunt, all I can see is one dead fox.
For three hunters, with spears and a pack of dogs, I reckon this was not a good day.

laslocravensworth.bsky.social•91 days ago

I think this guy has Night Vision Goggles on. 😂

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

They are well dressed and at least look warm, but their main purpose is to escort us into the painting, it feels like we're expected to follow them.
It is interesting to see little dogs, did they bring pups to learn the job or just small dogs to get into burrows and tunnels?

stephaniezvan.bsky.social•91 days ago

We've got sight hounds in the mix, so the hunt would move pretty fast for puppies that young at times. I'm guessing they're something like terriers for digging. Of course, those mountains make me wary of assuming too much accuracy in the details.

fakehistoryhunt.bsky.social•91 days ago

But perhaps their hunt is not yet done, look, prints in the snow, looks like a rabbit!
The dogs noses are all close to the ground, there's hope for the hunters yet.

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