Peter Bruegel was born in a peasant family in eastern Antwerp on 1525. He studied under P Cook Van Ulster, and his wife may have taught him how to paint watercolors on fine linen. 1550, when Cook Van Ulster died, Bruegel went to Antwerp to work for H. Cork, a painter and publisher. Kirk is a landscape painter and runs a painting shop. He once printed and published Bruegel's works and cooperated with him for a long time. In a 155 1 year, Bruegel became a painter of Antwerp painters' association, and soon after, he studied in Italy via France. 1552, arrived in southern Italy, crossed the ocean to Sicily and arrived in Palermo. 1553 collaborated with the famous artist G. Clovio on Art of Rome (lost). On his way home, he also roamed the countryside in northern Italy and the Alps. Judging from the existing works, his travel sketches are mainly landscapes, and his observation and description of nature are very detailed, which can be used as the material for future creation. Landscape sketch, written by him in Italy (1552, Berlin, Studio of the National Gallery), is the earliest work of the times.

1554 In the spring, Bruegel set foot on his way home. 1555 has published large-scale landscape paintings for Cork Painting Shop in Antwerp.

From 65438 to 0556, Bruegel's creation began to shift from landscape to character education and satirical composition. Drawing lessons from H. Bos's works, he adopted the expression method of combining fantasy with realistic images, selected themes from folk proverbs and legends, and integrated serious themes into humorous expressions. This change reflects his concern for Dutch social problems. His works, such as The Big Fish in eat small fish (1557, Vienna, alberti), The Sacrifice of Meat and The Struggle of Lent (1559, Vienna, Art History Museum), satirize the human feelings of the world or imply a protest against Spanish tyranny.

On the one hand, Bruegel provided prints for Cork's painting shop, and at the same time, he was engaged in painting. Generally speaking, I did more printmaking before 1562, and later I mainly devoted myself to painting. He attaches great importance to the observation and research of life, and often goes to the countryside with friends to participate in peasant activities and collect creative materials. 1563, he married the daughter of his teacher, Cook Van Ulster, and moved to Brussels, where he spent the last six years. At this time, just before the Dutch revolution broke out, his art became more and more mature, focusing on realistic people and combining the description of nature and social life. In his works, he exposed the cruel persecution of the Dutch people by the Spanish army and the Inquisition in various forms and inspired the people to fight. He found the best way to express his thoughts and feelings in describing farmers' lives, so he was called "Bruegel the Farmer". The main works of this period include The Preaching of John the Baptist (Budapest, Art Museum, 1566), Farmers' Wedding and Farmers' Dance (Vienna, Art History Museum, 1567), Hunter in the Snow, Dark Days and Pastures (Vienna,1567). Museum of Naples) (see Winter Hunting with Color Map (1565)) and dancing under the gallows (also known as the magpie on the gallows, 1568, darmstadt Museum).