Catalog of the exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan from September 29, 2026, to January 31, 2027
The exposition The Brueghels: The Origins of Painting Genres in Europe , on view at the Palazzo Reale in Milan from September 29, 2026, to January 31, 2027, tells the story of a “dynasty” of painters who made a decisive contribution, in Italy and throughout the rest of Europe, to the emergence of the system of pictorial genres—a pivotal turning point in the development of modern European painting as we know it today.
Featuring over 70 works, including paintings, drawings, and prints, the exhibition begins with the founder of the Bruegel family, the great Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who pioneered a new style of painting in which the common people took center stage for the first time, and then explores the consolidation ofthe “Bruegel brand”and its subsequent expansion in the art market under the guidance of his eldest son, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, who headed a thriving workshop.
Jan Brueghel the Elder then emerges as the undisputed protagonist—the cosmopolitan second son who studied the Italian style and secured prestigious commissions, such as that from Cardinal Federico Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, the first major collector of Flemish painting in Italy. Milan thus confirmed its status in the 17th century as one of the key centers for the dissemination of new Flemish painting styles throughout Europe, while in-depth analyses reveal the spread of the Brueghel phenomenon across Europe, from the Habsburg court in Prague to the wealthy Flemish merchant cities of Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Haarlem. In addition to reproductions of all the works on display, the catalog features a wide range of richly illustrated critical essays by leading scholars of modern European art.
Bernard Aikema, former professor of modern art history at the University of Verona, is one of the leading experts on artistic relations among European countries in the modern era. He is the author of several monographs and has curated numerous major international exhibitions, including the highly successful exhibition *Bosch and the Other Renaissance* at Palazzo Reale in Milan in 2022.
Carlotta Striolo, a student of Aikema, earned a Ph.D. in Art Sciences through a joint program between the University of Ghent (Belgium) and the University of Verona. She is a specialist in Flemish painting.
