15. Pieter Brueghel the Younger (Antwerp 1564-circa 1638) The wedding dance in the open air signed 'f.P.BREVGHEL' (lower left, reinforced) oil on panel 41.5 x 55.1cm (16 5/16 x 21 11/16in). Provenance Private Collection, UK Sale, Phillips, London, 13 May 1986, lot 60 (sold by Order of the Trustees of a Deceased's Estate) With Galerie De Jonckheere, Paris, 1990, where purchased by the present owner's family Literature K. Ertz, Pieter Brueghel Der Jüngere (1564-1637/38). Die Gemälde mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog, Lingen, 2000, vol. II, p. 727, no. E940, ill. This Wedding Dance is recognised by Ertz as amongst the best versions of this celebrated composition by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, (see K. Ertz, Pieter Brueghel der Jüngere (1564-1637/38): Die Gemälde mit kritischem Oeuvrekatalog, Lingen, 2000, p. 727, cat. no. E940). He suggests that it is one of the finest examples of this subject produced by Brueghel post 1616. Among the multiple known iterations of this subject, the present work is notable for its exceptional pictorial quality, vibrant palette, and clarity of execution, demonstrating Brueghel's mastery of his craft. The eldest son of Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525/30-1569), Pieter Brueghel the Younger was only five years old when his father died in 1569. Unable to receive direct artistic instruction from him, he was most likely first trained by his mother, the daughter of the painter Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1505-1550). He later entered the studio of the landscape artist Gillis van Coninxloo (1544-1607) in Antwerp, where he honoured his skills before becoming a master of the Guild of Saint Luke in 1585. Over his nearly half-century-long career, he achieved great success, with his workshop producing numerous paintings to feed the demand for Brueghel's work across Europe. Brueghel's career evolved in two phases. Initially, he meticulously reproduced and adapted his father's compositions, introducing his own artistic vision through small variations in the landscape elements and the use of a more vivid palette. Around 1615-1620, he began to develop original compositions that enjoyed immediate success and inspired multiple replicas. His influence extended to the next generation of Flemish artists, including his son, Pieter Brueghel III. Most probably based on an untraced drawing or painting originally devised by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the 1560s, the The Wedding Dance captures the joyful celebration of a peasant wedding, a theme that resonated deeply in Flemish art and culture. The Elder Bruegel's original composition is recorded, in reverse, in a print by Pieter van der Heyden (see fig. 1) and the earliest examples of the subject by Brueghel the Younger are dated 1607 (see for example at the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, acc. no. 37.364). Dateable to post-1616 (given that the signature reads 'BREVGHEL' and not 'BRVEGHEL') the present version exemplifies Brueghel the Younger's personal refinements on the subject, with meticulous attention to detail amongst the revellers, the heightened sense of movement in the dancers, and the brilliant colour contrasts within the composition. His skilful use of landscape elements also enhances the overall dynamism of the composition. While often nicknamed "Hell Brueghel" for his occasional depictions of fiery, fantastical imagery, Brueghel the Younger's true legacy lies in his masterful depictions of peasant life. His Wedding Dance remains one of his most celebrated works, embodying both the enduring appeal of Flemish village festivities and the artist's remarkable ability to blend narrative richness with pictorial brilliance.