The Courtauld Gallery

• For the first time Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s only three surviving grisaille paintings will be shown together
• The three panels will be accompanied by comparative prints and contemporary replicas, alongside other independent grisailles to examine their legacy and the development of this genre in Northern Europe
• The display, Bruegel, Not Bruegel, will also provide the opportunity to view ‘The Visit to the Peasants’ (Lugt Collection, Paris), whose attribution has oscillated between Pieter and Jan for the last century
• The exhibition runs from 4 February – 8 May 2016

This focused exhibition brings together for the first time Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s only three known grisaille paintings and examines their sources, function and reception. The presentation of these three exquisite masterpieces can only take place at The Courtauld Gallery as their own panel, Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, is barred from travel. It will be joined by The Death of the Virgin from Upton House in Warwickshire (National Trust) and Three Soldiers from the Frick Collection in New York.

Despite his status as the seminal Netherlandish painter of the sixteenth century, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525-1569) remains a mysterious artist of: fewer than forty paintings are ascribed to him. While he is most often associated with scenes of peasants drinking and fantastical creatures, his three small grisaille paintings, in contrast, display a refinement not found in the rest of his oeuvre.

Monochrome painting in shades of grey was a mainstay of Netherlandish art from the early fifteenth century, most often present on the wings of altarpieces and preparatory sketches for engravings. In contrast, Bruegel’s panels constitute one of the earliest and rare examples of independent cabinet pictures in grisaille, created for private contemplation and enjoyment. This seemingly austere type of painting has often been imbued with religious or political significance. On a purely artistic level, it enabled the painter to showcase their skill by limiting the palette.

The three panels will be complemented by comparative material, including prints and contemporary replicas, as well by other independent grisailles in order to shed light on the development of this genre in Northern Europe. Of special interest will be two copies of Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery: one is ascribed to Pieter’s son, Jan, and the other is said to have been painted in Italy at the request of Cardinal Federico Borromeo, based in Milan. The display, Bruegel, Not Bruegel, will also provide the opportunity to confront an additional grisaille genre scene, The Visit to the Peasants (Lugt Collection, Paris), whose attribution has oscillated between Pieter and Jan for the past century. A small publication which will include a technical investigation, accompanies the display.

This focus on Bruegel’s grisailles is a continuation of The Courtauld ‘s long-standing commitment to organising exhibitions that use a masterpiece from its collection to illuminate a specific aspect of Western art.

-ENDS- 

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Courtauld Gallery
Emily Butcher
+44 (0)20 7848 1149 | emily.butcher@courtauld.ac.uk 

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Opening Times
Daily 10am – 6pm (last admission 5.30pm)
Closed 25 and 26 December, last admission at 3.30 on 24 December

Admission
£9.50 (£8.50 Concessions)
This price includes a voluntary £1 donation to the Courtauld Institute of Art

Exhibition Supporters
Friends of The Courtauld
Johnny van Haeften Ltd
Eijk and Rose-Marie de Mol van Otterloo in honour of Johnny van Haeften

About The Courtauld Gallery 

The Courtauld Gallery is one of London’s must-see art museums. Its collection stretches from the early Renaissance to the 20th century and beyond. It is displayed in the elegant setting of Somerset House, one of the city’s most dynamic cultural venues. The Courtauld Gallery is renowned for its unrivalled Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including masterpieces by Monet, Van Gogh and Gauguin and the largest collection of Cézannes in the UK. It houses a major collection of Old Master paintings and is one of the few museums in the country to display such a rich selection of early twentieth-century art. The Gallery also holds an outstanding collection of drawings and prints and fine works of sculpture and decorative arts. 

The Courtauld Gallery regularly presents major exhibitions and special displays which are consistently acclaimed for their outstanding quality and originality.

The Gallery is at the heart of The Courtauld Institute of Art, one of the world’s leading centres for the study of art history and conservation. It plays an important role in the capital's cultural life and is part of London's Museum Mile.

“One of the world's great collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art”
- The Guardian