By the view Staff Article published February 26, 2004
Pieter Brueghel the Younger devoted his life to copying the paintings of his father, Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel, generally considered the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century. (He also added an “h” to the family’s name). Brueghel's studio produced more than 20 copies of one of his father’s most famous paintings, “The Netherlandish Proverbs,” also known as “The Flemish Proverbs,” “The World Upside-Down,” and “The Blue Cloak.” Only 10 are signed and believed to be by Brueghel. The painting depicts more than 100 proverbs and proverbial expressions that were well known at the time of its creation, and many of which still are used today.
It was only a matter of time that one of those paintings met up with Wolfgang Mieder, professor and chair of the department of German and Russian and an internationally recognized scholar of proverbs.
Thanks to Mieder’s ideas and to a generous loan of the painting by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Klapper, the two will come together at the Fleming Museum. The exhibit of the Klappers' signed painting will be held at the museum from March 9 through June 6, the first major showing of the work in this country. Mieder has organized a proverb symposium in conjunction with this special exhibition that will take place March 26-27.
Information: Fleming Exhibition
