Brueghel & Van Balen : artists & Accomplices

Upcoming exhibition

In 2025, to mark the 400th anniversary of his death, the Musée de Flandre is paying tribute to one of the most important Antwerp painters of the 17th century: Jan Brueghel the Elder.

The youngest son of the famous Pieter Bruegel the Elder, he left a mark on his generation with his sense of colour and exceptional miniaturist touch. His extraordinary virtuosity earned him the nickname “Velvet” Brueghel. From history paintings, to bouquets of flowers and hunting scenes, diversity is the watchword. As a specialist in landscapes, flowers, fruit and animals, Brueghel often enlisted the skills of other painters to depict the figures.

In addition to Rubens, another name crops up frequently: Hendrick van Balen. This now little-known artist had a brilliant career: at the head of a large workshop, the remuneration for his works at times far exceeded that of Rubens. Van Balen's diverse oeuvre includes impressive church altarpieces as well as more intimate paintings with mythology or the Bible as main subject. The three men were such close friends that, on Brueghel's death, Van Balen and Rubens were appointed joint guardians of his children.

Thanks to numerous loans from leading European museums and private collections, the Musée de Flandre remains committed to its mission of putting the spotlight on forgotten artists. The work of Hendrick van Balen will be brought back into the public eye thanks to the relationship he forged with Brueghel.

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