Bagpipe Paintings: the Brueghel Files


When the name Pieter Brueghel is mentioned, the first thought that comes to mind of many people is "extremely famous flemish artist of the 16th and 17th centuries". The second thought is "hey, isn't that the guy who painted all those genre paintings depicting peasant life, dance, merriment, food and... bagpipes?" He sure is. He is also the main reason this collection exists for had I not seen "Wedding Dance", my career as a bagpipe picture collector would be non-existent. But I digress...

Click on the images to make them bigger or reveal the full picture.



Pieter Brueghel's "Wedding Dance". The "flemish" set I currently play is based on this image.

Another by Peter Breughel called "Wedding Feast" sort of a sequel to Wedding Dance I suppose. The single stock, double drone is basically the same.


I apologize for the quality, we work with what we get. This is very similar to the "Night Dance" which is below.

I should have this in color soon thanks to Ernst Schmidt. Click the image for more info.


Indoor Village Wedding, painted in 1556, is an image
which I discovered on the window sill at the house
of bagpipe maker Michael Mac Harg

Detail from a much larger piece which depicts dancers (of course) angels, God and the like.


This is a Brueghel called Kermis at Hoboken 1559

from Les Estampes De Peter Bruegel L'Ancien. Image circa 1642


Night Dance after Pieter Brueghel.

Definitely one of my favorites. Fat Kitchen by Pieter Brueghel. This one has all the regular subjects except this time the dog is actually making contact with the piper.