If you are visiting Prague, Czechia, you should not miss the opportunity to see one of the most remarkable paintings of the 16th century: Haymaking by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
This painting is part of the Lobkowicz Collections, one of the oldest and largest private collections of art in the Czech Republic, which are displayed at the Lobkowicz Palace, the only privately owned building in the Prague Castle complex.
Haymaking is an oil painting on wood panel, created by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1525-1569) in 1565. Bruegel was a pioneer in presenting landscapes and scenes as large paintings, and he influenced many artists of the Dutch Golden Age and beyond.
Haymaking depicts a rural scene of early summer, or the months of June and July, in the Low Countries. It shows various activities related to the harvesting of hay, such as mowing, raking, stacking, and transporting. The painting is full of details and contrasts, such as the different types of work, the different social classes, the different landscapes, and the different weather conditions. The painting also has a symbolic meaning, as it reflects the cycle of life and the passage of time.
Haymaking is one of the six panels that Bruegel painted to represent the twelve months of the year. The series was commissioned by the Antwerp merchant Niclaes Jonghelinck, who hung them in his dining room. The series was later acquired by the Habsburg rulers of the Netherlands, and then by the Lobkowicz family, who have preserved it for centuries. Today, only five panels of the series are known, and Haymaking is the only one that is not in a public museum, but in a private collection.
#visitprague #czechia🇨🇿 #tourism #lobkowitz #bruegel #masterpiece
