by Caroline Legrand
Pieter Bruegel the Younger (1564/1565-1636), "The Bird Trap," oil on panel, 38 x 55 cm/14.96 x 21.65 in. Estimate: €300,000/500,000
The air is crystal-clear, the sky barely blue and the vague silhouette of a church in the distance—Antwerp Cathedral, according to experts—pierces the wispy mist enveloping the snow-clad village. Villagers, some dressed in red, skate on the frozen river, while others play a game that is the forerunner of hockey. The outlines of tall, leafless trees with a few frosty branches occupy the right side of the canvas. Birds perch on branches, attracted by the bird trap on the embankment, made from an old door with rusty ironwork. The line tied to a stake, held by the bird trapper at the window of the house, can barely be made out. While the scene may look serene, almost joyful, it actually expresses the ephemeral vanity of life. Click here to read more