A Panoramic Landscape of Death

Pieter Bruegel the Elder's The Triumph of Death, painted in 1562, is a panoramic landscape of death that has been housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1827. The painting depicts a world consumed by death and destruction, with the sky blackened by smoke from burning cities and the sea littered with shipwrecks. Armies of skeletons advance on the hapless living, who either flee in terror or try vainly to fight back.

Innovative Choices of Subject Matter

Bruegel was a pioneer in presenting both landscapes and peasant scenes as large paintings. He was one of the first generation of artists to grow up when religious subjects had ceased to be the natural subject matter of painting, and he painted no portraits, the other mainstay of Netherlandish art. His innovative choices of subject matter have inspired artists in both the literary arts and cinema, with his painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus being the subject of a poem by W. H. Auden and referenced in films by Andrei Tarkovsky and Lars von Trier.

A Prolific Designer of Prints

Before switching to painting as his main medium, Bruegel worked mainly as a prolific designer of prints for the leading publisher of the day. All his famous paintings come from the following period of little more than a decade before his early death in 1569, when he was probably in his early forties.

Commissioned by a Lay Patron

It is not known whether The Triumph of Death was intended as an altarpiece, but the general view is that the extreme subject matter of the inner center and right panels make it unlikely that it was intended to function in a church or monastery. Instead, it was likely commissioned by a lay patron who appreciated Bruegel's innovative choices of subject matter and his masterful depiction of the human condition.

Experience the Triumph of Death at ArtsDot

At ArtsDot, we offer high-quality reproductions of The Triumph of Death and other famous paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Our handmade oil paintings and print on canvas are meticulously crafted to capture the beauty and detail of the original artwork, allowing you to experience the mastery of Bruegel in your own home or office. Browse our collection today and discover the perfect addition to your art collection.