Although Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525/30-1569) is most remembered today for his paintings of rural life, it was actually via his extraordinary graphic creations that he attained wide-spread acclaim while still alive. Beginning his career as a print designer for the publisher Hieronymus Cock, Bruegel created a variety of print series that featured devils, saintly souls, idiots, and oppressed peasants tilling the ground. Bruegel frequently created what one early observer described as "fantasies and odd things, dreams and imaginations," which encouraged his contemporaries to refer to him as the second Hieronymus Bosch.
This lavish book, which was released as part of the Bruegel anniversary year celebrations, goes along with the exhibition at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels, which is known for being a pioneer in Bruegel scholarship and is home to one of the most comprehensive collections of the artist's graphic creations. The book begins with essays written by a prestigious group of Bruegel specialists. They talk about the Bruegel prints held by the Royal Library of Belgium, the findings of the Fingerprint study, Bruegel's abilities as a draughtsman and printmaker, his editions, particularly his partnership with Hieronymus Cock, and the persistence of his art after his death. Following the essays are 80 copies of his drawings that are all printed at the same size as the originals.