Why it matters
This unusual subject apparently illustrates a Netherlandish proverb: he who knows where the nest is has the knowledge; he who robs it has the nest. Like other late works by Bruegel, it is dominated by monumental figures.
Did you know?
- It was painted in 1568, the year before Bruegel's death.
- The figures show his knowledge of Michelangelo.
- It is also called The Peasant and the Birdnester.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Peasant and the Nest Robber (CC BY-SA 4.0).
