Signed bottom left
Provenance:
• Sale Christie’s, London, 24th March 1974, no.58;
• private collection, Madrid.
An emblematic work of Pieter Brueghel the Younger, this version of the...
read moreSigned bottom left
Provenance:
• Sale Christie’s, London, 24th March 1974, no.58;
• private collection, Madrid.
An emblematic work of Pieter Brueghel the Younger, this version of the Payment of the Tithe reveals the extent of our artist’s talent through its meticulous execution, visible in the profusion of details that adorn our panel and in the majesty of the colours.
A satirical subject, The Payment of the Tithe, also called the The Peasants’ Lawyer, The Village Lawyer, The Tax Collector, The Lawyer of Bad Causes or The Notary’s Office, was a favourite theme in the 17th century and was the subject of a genuine craze. In an untidy room, piles of papers and postal sacks litter the floor. The painting is composed of three groups of figures. At the entrance to the room, a man hesitatingly crosses the threshold, while another somewhat contrite man waits his turn, hat and papers in hand. Not far from them, a clerk is busy at his desk taking notes. In the centre is another group of figures, formed by four bearded men and a woman going through her basket. The clearly hesitant men are looking at a figure sitting behind the untidy desk. The latter is wearing a doctoral bonnet, with his little pointed beard hiding his prominent chin, a veiled reference to the features of the Habsburgs; he is holding a paper in his right hand and a bundle in his left one. This character is undoubtedly at the heart of the work’s intent. He is the village lawyer. A calendar with the following inscription hangs behind him: “ALMANACH DE GRACE […] DE DIEU […]”. He forms the painting’s third group along with the other two characters at his sides: a clerk looking around the room and a poorly dressed figure who is studying the calendar.
As indicated in the title, the theme of this work has long been associated with the payment of taxes. But upon closer examination of the caricatured faces, as well as the main character, we can more easily deduce that it is actually a satirical vision of the lawyer’s profession. Furthermore, if we examine the sources, such as the inventories of the art chambers of 17th century Antwerp, the painting is mentioned under the title of “prosecutor”. The figures waiting in the office are therefore plaintiffs who have come to pay the magistrate in kind, with eggs and bunches of grapes. Finally, to further support this hypothesis, engravings have been found using Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s painting in order to distribute satirical tracts on the profession of lawyer.
Contrary to the Adoration of the Magi in the Snow, the Census in Bethlehem or the Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap, the subject painted by Pieter Brueghel the Younger here is not a portrayal of a work by Pieter Brueghel the Elder. This The Payment of the Tithe illustrates the entirety of Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s personality, which is visible in every brushstroke, thus making it an exceptional work. At the source of numerous differences of opinion among art historians, this painting remains shrouded in mystery. But considering the number of versions painted, all agree on the great popularity of the theme. Owing to the use of French on the calendar, Jacqueline Folie suggests that the prototype for the painting may be of French origin. It should also be emphasised that Ertz maintains that, "the perspective and stocky types and proportions of the characters, as well as the clothes and colours, are unusual elements in Flemish painting" (Folie). He therefore suspects that there must have been a prototype by Nicolas Baullery, which has since disappeared.
Our version, which is among the most accomplished and best preserved, is comparable to the one exhibited at the Groeninge Museum in Bruges, whose dimensions and pictorial characteristics, in particular, are of a great quality. With this satirical image, Pieter Brueghel the Younger reveals the full spectrum of his talent.
Brussels 1564 - Antwerp 1638
The eldest son of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, he settled early on in Antwerp where he received his training in the studio of the landscape artist, Gillis van...
read moreBrussels 1564 - Antwerp 1638
The eldest son of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, he settled early on in Antwerp where he received his training in the studio of the landscape artist, Gillis van Coninxloo. He was made a Master in 1585. He was only five years old when his father died in 1569, so he was not able to initiate his son in painting. His mother, the daughter of painter Pieter Coecke d’Alost and she herself a painter, died when he was only an adolescent, but it seems she contributed to his apprenticeship. In 1588 he married Elisabeth Goddelet with whom he had seven children.
He was nicknamed "Hell" Brueghel even though scenes of hell were an exception in his work. There were two sides to Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s work. In the beginning, he returned to a great number of his father’s paintings and developed several versions. He added his personal touch by introducing variants, including the importance he gave to landscape, as well as his own colours that were livelier and of greater purity than those used by his father.
The second period began around 1615-1620. During this time, he asserted his personality through the creation of original paintings, which met with great success at this time, also inspiring several replicas. His son Pieter Brueghel III and Frans Snyders, the famous painter of still lifes and animals, were his students. Besides prolonging the work of his father, Pieter Brueghel II held a significant position in the 17th century especially through his fine brushwork and the purity of his colours. He influenced every Flemish painter in his century.
He had a particularly fruitful career, extending over nearly half a century, and was highly successful during his lifetime.
