On the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the death of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium celebrate the great Renaissance master through various projects.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder is one of the most famous painters from the Renaissance period. Yet only about forty paintings from his short career (he died in 1569, around the age of 40) have been preserved, making them rare and extremely valuable. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium house the second largest ensemble of Bruegel the Elder paintings in the world. At the Old Masters Museum, you can admire several of his paintings: The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1562), the Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap and Skaters (1565), the Census at Bethlehem (1566) and the Adoration of the Kings. In addition, several copies by his sons and other (anonymous) followers allow you to further explore this brilliant artist's oeuvre.

Bruegel. Unseen Masterpieces allows the public to delve into the works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder († Brussels, 1569). While the artist and his paintings are instantly recognisable worldwide, every composition also depicts a whole host of characters - some surprising, others familiar - and vignettes that provide the subtext of history, which are masterpieces worthy of exploration in their own right.

Drawing on a wide spectrum of virtual and on-site experiences, this unique initiative offers everyone the chance to immerse themselves in Bruegel’s works by honing in on the details of each painting and accessing expert knowledge. By delving deeper into the artist’s world, the viewer will discover the unexpected elements in Bruegel’s works which constitute the pinnacle of the master’s craft. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium launched this project jointly with Google Arts & Culture in anticipation of the 450th anniversary of Bruegel’s death, in 2019.