Peter), an eminent painter, commonly called Old Breugel, was born at a village of the same name near Breda, in the year 1565; and was the first pupil of Peter Cock, whose daughter he married. It was customary with him to dress like a country-man, in order to be more easily admitted into the company of country-people, and be allowed to join in their frolics, by which means he became perfectly acquainted with their manners and gestures, of which he made excellent use in his pictures. He travelled to France and Italy, and for a long time studied landscapes on the mountains of Tyrol. His humorous turn of mind displayed itself in all his pictures, which generally consisted of country-dances, marriages, sports, and diversions; though he sometimes performed pieces from the historical parts of the holy Scriptures. At his return from Italy, he settled at Antwerp, and in his last illness caused his wife to gather together all his most modest pieces and burn them before his face. He died at Antwerp; but in what year cannot be ascertained.—He had a son named Peter, who also distinguished himself by his paintings; and John, the subject of the following article.

Of the works of old Breugel, the great duke of Tuscany has, Christ carrying his cross, with a great number of figures; and a country feast. The emperor has the tower of Babel, the massacre of the Innocents, and the conversion of St Paul, of his painting; the elector Palatine, a landscape, with St Philip baptizing queen Candace's eunuch; and St John preaching in the wilderness, with a great many figures.

Breugel (John), commonly called Veelte Breugel, from his generally wearing velvet clothes, was the son of Peter Breugel, and born about the year 1575. He first applied himself to painting flowers and fruit, in which he excelled; and afterwards had great success in drawing landscapes, and views of the sea, set off with small figures. He lived long at Cologne, where he acquired great reputation. He travelled to Italy, where his fame had got before him; and where his fine landscapes, adorned with small figures superior to those of his father, gave very great satisfaction. If a good judgment may be formed from the great number of pictures he left behind him, all highly finished, he must have been exceedingly industrious. Nor did he satisfy himself with embellishing his own works only, but was very useful in this respect to his friends. Even Rubens made use of Breugel's hand in the landscape part of several of his small pictures, such as his Vertumnus and Pomona; the satyr viewing the sleeping nymph; and the terrestrial paradise, which is looked upon as his masterpiece; and, together with the two former, was done for king William III. of Great Britain. He died in 1642, in the 67th year of his age.

Several of his works are to be seen in the archbishop's gallery at Milan; particularly a hunting-piece with a vast many figures; a landscape representing a defeat, with the picture of St Hierom painted by Cerano, alias Gro Baptista Crepsi. In the Ambrosian library are 20 pieces of this masterly hand; particularly, Daniel in the lion's den, the inside of the great church at Antwerp, the four seasons on copper, and the burning of Gomorrha. In the possession of the elector Palatine at Dusseldorp, Christ preaching on the seashore; a country-dance; a sea-port, with a great many figures; a coach and two chariots, with a multitude of figures and animals; a landscape, wherein Flora is crowned by a nymph; St John preaching in the wilderness; a small sea-landscape, and several other pieces. In the possession of the king of France, a woman playing with a dog, the battle between Alexander and Darius, both in wood; Orpheus in hell, &c.