“The Blind Leading the Blind”
The immensely talented Pieter Bruegel the Elder…
“The Blind Leading the Blind” is a distemper on linen painting by the Flemish artist of the Northern Renaissance, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. This was painted in 1568, just one year before his death.
In this painting, Bruegel illustrates a passage from the Bible which reads “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” from Matthew 15:14.
For Bruegel’s interpretation of the passage, six men are painted walking in a row. Each person depicted is suffering from a different eye affliction. The first man has already fallen into a ditch. The second man is mid-fall. The background setting of the scene is beautifully rendered. The church stands prominently against the sky. The grassy hill and roofs of the buildings give a contrasting angle to the line of walking men.
Paintings depicting proverbs were very popular in the Northern Renaissance. They were well-known by everyone, and therefore had mass appeal.
Distemper on cloth was a popular and cheaper alternative to oils during this period in the Northern Renaissance. The pigment was bound to cloth with glue made from animal tissue. The cloth was then bound to a frame using the same glue. The majority of pieces painted using this medium from this time do not survive today. They deteriorate rather quickly. We are very lucky to have this painting.
“The Blind Leading the Blind” is currently in the collections of the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples, Italy.
For more on Pieter Bruegel the Elder, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
