KINDERSPIELE CHILDREN'S GAMES
 by Pieter Bruegel, the Elder 1525-1569



Pieter Bruegel ( PE ter BROY gul) was born in Belgium. (Sometimes his name is spelled Brueghel .) In 1551 he became an apprentice of an artist, Aelst. He traveled to Italy about that time and painted many pictures, mostly landscapes. He was about 26 years old at the time. He married the daughter of his master.

His paintings were very popular in his time, and are still popular today, over 400 years later.

In the painting "Children's Games", he shows children playing all sorts of games. Children today still play versions of some of the games shown.

He liked to paint a lot of small figures in a large space.

Another well-known painting by Bruegel is The Tower of Babel which depicts the Bible story of the efforts of men who aspired to build a city and a tower which would reach to heaven. In the same year 1563 he also painted a smaller picture of the tower of Babel which is called The "Little" Tower of Babel.

He was called Pieter the Elder. He had two sons who became famous painters. One of them was named Pieter, and he was called Pieter the Younger. His grandsons also became artists. This was quite an artistic family.