Detail of “The People’s Advocate”, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, to be auctioned on March 28. Author:
They confirm that the canvas that has hung in the family room for 123 years is the iconic work of Pieter Brueghel the Younger and that, with an estimated price of 800,000 euros, it will be auctioned in Paris in two weeks.
It had been in the same house for over a century, hanging behind the door without its owners knowing they had a treasure. It is a painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1637), People’s Advocate, a canvas that, after an indisputable authentication, will be auctioned in about fifteen days. Its estimated price for the Parisian house of Daguerre is between 600,000 and 800,000 euros. Given its unique size and the reliability of the attribution, it could exceed the estimate when the final blow of the auctioneer’s hammer sounds at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris on March 28.
Qualified by experts as “exceptional” for its pictorial and symbolic value, the canvas painted in the early 17th century is a sharp satire “of the first great financial bubble in history”, according to its auctioneers. Dated between 1615 and 1617, it depicts a chaotic scene with a handful of villagers queuing in front of lawyers’ offices, offering gifts such as grapes, eggs and poultry. This parade of strange characters looking to entertain the lawyer was interpreted as paying taxes. But now we know that peasants consult a lawyer who, and how, monetizes their knowledge and services. This is confirmed by many folded and tied documents, with labeled bags on the shelves. A method of archiving process documents that has been used for centuries.
There are several versions of the painting in museums such as the Louvre, under the titles Peasants in the lawyer’s house or tithe payment. There are several versions in the German Historical Museum in Berlin, in the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp or in the Bonnefantenmuseum in the Dutch city of Maastricht.
Largest
Since 1900, the painting has been in the possession of the same family that kept it in the living room behind the door. Last October, the family heirloom was inventoried and it was determined that it was the work of a great Flemish artist. At 112 centimeters high and 184 centimeters wide, it is the largest recorded work of the young Brueghel. The identity of the painting’s owners, who suspected that it was Brueghel, “but were not sure”, has not yet been revealed.
This is how he says it in the magazine Art newspaper Malo de Lussac, auctioneer of the House of Daguerre and inventor of the valuable fabric. In November, the work was presented to the Paris cabinet of Turquin authenticators. Both company founder Éric Turquin and art expert Stéphane Pinta recognized Brueghel’s artistry and authorship. The painting then traveled to Germany, where Brueghel specialist Klaus Ertz also confirmed its authorship.
Born in Brussels, Pieter Brueghel the Younger was the eldest son of the Renaissance painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder. His younger brother, Jan Brueghel the Younger, was also a painter. Young Pieter painted landscapes, religious subjects, including various depictions of hell, rural scenes and flowers. He was also a prolific copyist of his father’s most popular works. Your copies Winter landscape with slides and bird trap (1565), ten of which are signed and four dated, are a good example.
Source: La Vozde Galicia
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
