Jan Bruegel the Younger: Four Paintings Depicting the World and Its Wonders

No fewer than four paintings attributed to Jan Bruegel the Younger will come up for sale soon—an incredible event, considering that they are in excellent condition and have been together for nearly 400 years. The first time these paintings on copper appeared on the market was at Christie’s London on June 26, 1970, when comparisons were quickly drawn between them and commissions by Jan Bruegel the Elder, known as Velvet (1568-1625), Bruegel the Younger’s father, for Cardinal Federico Borromeo. Dated c. 1606-1607, Water and Fire are now in Milan’s Pinacoteca Ambrosiana , Earth and Air in the Louvre . "In the 16 th and 17 th centuries, when you bought a Bruegel, you bought a brand," says Jérôme Montcouquiol of the Cabinet Turquin. The dynasty of Flemish painters enjoyed an international reputation at the time. All Europe wanted to own their innovatively…