Bruegel - Virtuosity and Diversity in Techniques

From the beginning of the 15th century, oil on wood painting was perfected in the Low Countries, where it enjoyed great success throughout the century. The innovative technique used linseed oil as a binding agent for ground pigments.

Bruegel used the impasto technique, using a more graphic, thicker painting technique. The pale highlights which catch the light really do stand out. Facial structures were achieved by using thickness of material. 

Bruegel also exploited another technique commonly used in the 15th and 16th centuries: tempera on non-prepared linen canvas.

Before becoming a painter, Pieter Bruegel was above all a great illustrator with a substantial amount of graphic work to his name.

His etchings and prints were a great novelty at the time. They were somewhat of a success and were largely disseminated on the market. This also added to Bruegel’s fame.