Memorial to Pieter Breugel

National monument - memorial

In Breugel, on the Pieter Brueghelplein, stands the memorial to Pieter Breugel, the painter born in +/- 1525 and who died in 1569. In 1926, the then famous Flemish writer Felix Timmermans unveiled the bluestone monument, made to the design of the architect A.J. Kropholler. 

Bust

Across the street is a bust of Pieter Brueghel, unveiled in 1996 and created by J. Couwenbergh. Right next to the square are plots of land to which the name of Pieter Brueghel is traditionally attached. This bust is not a monument.

Pieter Brueghel, Bruegel or Breugel?

On the memorial and the bust, the painter's name is written in different ways. The memorial has his name listed as Pieter Breugel, while the bust shows the name Pieter Brueghel. Likewise if you search on Wikipedia, for example.

These differences in spelling are not accidental. Several variants of the name have circulated throughout the centuries. The painter himself initially signed his works with Brueghel, but around 1559 deliberately omitted the h and henceforth wrote Bruegel. He probably did that to join a trend in intellectual and aristocratic circles, in which names were "Latinized," simpler and more appropriate to the Latin spellings then in use. However, his sons and descendants often continued to use the form Brueghel. As a result, both variants coexist and both have become familiar.

The year of birth

The memorial in Son en Breugel states that Pieter Breugel was supposedly born in 1530. Today we know that his year of birth is probably 1525. Yet the mention of 1530 and the spelling of the name are not changed. In fact, the memorial was erected in 1926, a time when it was still assumed that he was born in 1530 and the name was written as Pieter Breugel. The monument reflects not only the memory of the painter, but also the knowledge and beliefs of the residents who remembered him at the time. That, too, is (intangible) heritage.

A living piece of history

That the name and year of birth do not quite "fit," does not make the memorial and bust any less valuable. On the contrary: they not only tell something about Pieter Breugel himself, but also about how he was remembered and honored in different times.