Circle of Pieter Brueghel II (Brussels 1564/5-1637/8)

The present picture depicts one of the most enduringly popular compositions of the Netherlandish landscape tradition and one of the most familiar of all the works of the Brueghel family, known in more than 120 versions by the latters' studio and followers. It has traditionally been thought that the prototype for the composition is a painting by Pieter II's father, Pieter Bruegel I, signed and dated 1565, in the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, however, the question remains open, with some scholars suggesting the prime version remains undiscovered.