ABSTRACT
The art that Bruegel produced between 1559 and 1563 presents a rare opportunity to investigate a concentrated period of creativity in one of the world's great artists. Idiosyncratic, as original in conception as they are skillful in execution, the paintings Bruegel created during these years form a unique body of work that raises a number of important questions. What combination of circumstances made this burst of creativity possible? And why did it end as suddenly as it began? After 1563 the majority of Bruegel's subjects can be accommodated within a familiar category. The aim in this study is to address these questions by constructing a coherent account of Bruegel's art and career during these crucial years, one that includes all the extant works, drawings as well as paintings. Finally, the complexity of the religious situation in the mid-sixteenth century and its ramifications for Bruegel's art make it useful to distinguish between "reformers" and the "Reformed.".
