Italian and Northern Renaissance

Pieter Brueghel the Elder

The Wedding Dance, 1566

Pieter Brueghel the Elder was a Flemish painter during the 16th Century. His most famous piece of art work is The Wedding Dance,1566. It peaked my curiosity while I was reading about the Northern Renaissance because of the use of imagery Brueghel painted within. The most intriguing aspect of this painting is the depiction of the peasant figures, for though they are pictured in festive dance mode, there are societal and moral implications hidden within their actions. This same style and skill is seen in a few of his other paintings, most especially two that have been paired as part of a set to include The Wedding Dance.  
The Peasant Wedding, 1568, though the locations for where these three were painting are unknown.

 






  










The Peasant Dance, 1569

 

 

 

 

Just a Little Historical Background

The Netherlands, at this time of the 16th Century, was still under the rule of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Spain. Before the birth of Brueghel in 1525, the Protestant Reformation had already begun to take hold in neighboring Germany and England. In 1550, trying to reinforce the rule of the Papacy, Charles V enacted an edict of blood, putting to death those who committed Protestant heresies within the Spanish Empire. Around the death of Brueghel (1569), the Eighty Years' War began, as the 17 provinces of the Netherlands fought for independence, resulting in 7 of them becoming Protestant and the remaining staying under Roman Catholic Rule. This historical context is important when dissecting the works of Brueghel, especially The Wedding Dance. The Netherlands, geographically speaking, was surrounded by Protestant Reform, which is shown in the left map pictured below, along with the map showing the spread of the Spanish Empire on the right. 

As you can see, the Protestant Reformation sweeping through at the time of the Northern Renaissance and the time of Pieter Brueghel, was confined to the countries bordering the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Imageries

Looking upon the three paintings listed above, imagery and symbolism plays an important part in understanding the reasoning behind Brueghel's religious philosophy and how he saw the current society in the Netherlands. As a whole, The Wedding Dance, seems to be an innocent portrayal of a dance at a wedding, however upon closer inspection of each figure and groups of figures, a slight inference of immorality can be seen. 

The most important thing to note in the painting is the actual dance. Dancing with arms out wide and with joviality was considered to be sinful.

Another image hidden, but not hidden, within is the couple kissing amongst the other dancers, and the man with his head covered, tipping back his tankard.
Brueghel paints these peasants as not having to conform to the rules of the wealthier class, which mimics the corruption of the Catholic Church. Art historian, Walter S. Gibson, discusses why Bruegel incorporates this imagery in The Wedding Dance by stating that it is "a sermon condemning glutton," and  that it is "an allegory of the Church abandoned by Christ" (The Wedding Dance).
 

 My Thoughts

As I read more about Brueghel, I began to admire his spirit. To be a renaissance painter in 16th Century Northern Europe must have been a challenge, but to see a Reformation sweep all around while the Catholic Church tightens its grip upon the land must have been an even harder challenge. I think that is why Brueghel painted this painting and the two others the way he did. As Dr. Beth Harris states in the analysis video below, Pieter Brueghel the Elder's Peasant Wedding, Brueghel has "sympathy and shared humanity" with the peasants he used for his subjects. He also sees the comparisons of their seemingly simple life compared to the wealthy.

 These paintings, as a whole, can be compared to society. Looking at the big picture, it is what it seems; a dance, or a wedding, but it is only when individual sections, or people, are scrutinized that the immorality and corruption shows just as in real life.

Works Cited

1. "Geography of the Netherlands." Map. How Stuff Works. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. http://geography.howstuffworks.com/europe/geography-of-the-netherlands1.htm 

2. "Habspurg Empire." Map. Web. 12 Feb. 2015 http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/262/268312/art/figures/KISH_14_319.gif

3. "The Peasant Dance." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peasant_Dance 

4. "The Peasant Wedding." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peasant_Wedding 

5. "The Wedding Dance." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wedding_Dance  
6. Drs. Beth Harris and Steven Zucker. "Pieter Brueghel the Elder's Peasant Wedding." khanacademy.org. YouTube, 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Hs2GZKOhw