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Article: The panoramic landscape of human suffering.(Pieter Bruegel's works )(Biography)
- Article from:
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Article date:
- November 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The Old Masters were never wrong about suffering, wrote W.H. Auden. They understood how it takes place, "While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along" (1). Auden was referring to the work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which dwelled on suffering, along with labor and merrymaking, the lot of simple folk. He painted them with such dedication it earned him the title "Peasant Bruegel."
He so delighted in the behavior of peasants, he disguised himself as one, and went out into the countryside to mingle with them during their feasts and weddings, "... brought gifts like the other guests, claiming ...