Pieter Brueghel II | The Bird Trap | Old Master Paintings
One of the highlights included in the April Auction of old master paintings is ‘The Bird Trap’ by Pieter Brueghel II. One of the reasons that the painting is so unique is that 127 versions of it exist. Of these, however, only 46, including the one at the auction, were drawn by the artist himself. The rest were drawn either by his assistents or by followers. Pieter Brueghel II.’s painting shows a harmonious winter scene, yet the title indicates a darker meaning. If the bird trap were to break, the ice would break, too, causing a catastrophe. The fragility of life is thus the essential theme of Brueghel’s landscape.