Creative process in the Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and creative solutions in two versions by his sons

The Triumph of Death represents one of only two known cases where both of Pieter Bruegel’s sons’ made copies of a large-format composition by their father. But here, unlike the other case, i.e. their replicas after the Sermon of Saint John the Baptist, close examination reveals that the copyists were not able to study the original painting de visu. Tracings, high resolution photography and infrared reflectography made by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s version in the Kunstmuseum, Basel, and of Jan Brueghel the Elder’s version in the Universalmuseum Joanneum, Graz, will help elucidate the modus operandi of the copyists. They will also be used to illustrate their respective styles and techniques, as well as their personal approach in the necessary invention of certain details of the composition. New scientific imagery of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s original version, kindly provided by the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, will provide the final piece of the puzzle and will shed light on the great master’s creative process.