Tower Of Babel and Pieter Bruegel Painting by Paul Meijering

Realistic acrylic painting of The Tower of Babel and Pieter Bruegel, painted by the Dutch fine artist Paul Meijering - the original painting is 90 x 120 cm and part of a permanent collection.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Breugel or Breda, c. 1525-1530 - Brussels, 9 September 1569) was a painter who belonged to the Northern Renaissance. He was the father of Pieter Brueghel the Younger and of Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Influenced by Pieter Coecke, Bruegel painted with many allegories, for example in scenes of peasant life. Later, he also painted scenes inspired by classical antiquity and Biblical scenes. These include two paintings of the Tower of Babel.

All sorts of stories circulate about Bruegel. According to Karel van Mander, for instance, he often visited the countryside incognito to observe peasant life; hence his nickname 'Boerenbruegel'. Other sources believe he might have had heretical sympathies, which he would have incorporated in his paintings in a hidden way. Neither the first nor the second has been proven.

Bruegel is undoubtedly the most complete landscape painter of his time; no one else painted nature, throughout the seasons, so naturally, powerfully, precisely and multifaceted.

Now, it is widely believed that Bruegel was very much affected by the poverty-stricken and harsh existence of the rural population; a nickname "Folk Bruegel" would be more accurate than "Peasant Bruegel". Remarkably, even at his "peasant wedding" and "peasant dances" no one smiles. He was certainly Catholic but also a humanist, and he mercilessly criticised religious persecution in many works including setting up gallows in the landscape and often adding magpies (gossips, traitors).

Bruegel painted intensively for barely 10 years and it is believed that he only painted about 50 works, all of exceptional quality.

Created by Paul Meijering.

This artwork is offered by Paul Meijering

For almost 33 years now, Paul Meijering has been active with the paint brushes. As a 17- year old inspired youngster he joined the Academy of Arts in Enschede (Holland) in order to receive a native training in drawing- and painting technique.

At that time (1980) the tendency of the abstract was running riot, and to his dismay and disappointment Paul found that the trade of the ancient masters was merely 'old hat', the realistic art being disregarded and looked down upon. After two years of useless botchery, there was only one conclusion to draw: 'get autodidact, be a self-taught person!' Paul then left the academy to work for a living, but at the back of his mind there always loomed the passion of his life: to paint. At his spare time he painted and his efforts are characteristic as far as man plays an important role are concerned, or to put it in his own words: 'Each human being tinkers at his own existence, it is the source of inspiration to explain the non-verbal by way of painting'.

The paintings attracted attention at various exhibitions and he was frequently approached by trades-people, hotel-keepers, merchants. These customers were for the most part interested in large wall-paintings and decorations. In the year 2000 the painter develops a speciality that's quite unique: he applies himself to paint football pictures. After a year he gets the chance to realize an open exhibition for an indefinite time as well with the Dutch Fo

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