# Brueghel's genre scenes

The Dutch Netherlands enjoyed a prosperous economic period in the 17th century, bolstered by good prospects for lasting peace. This context prompted painters to focus on the quality of life of the people. Peasants and everyday activities, especially labor, became popular subjects, thanks to painters like Pieter Brueghel the Elder.

The work done by laborers and peasants was glorified, and leisure after work was also increasingly depicted. Pieter Brueghel the Younger belongs to this generation of Flemish artists associated with the development of secular genre scenes in the 17th century. In compositions that were often rural or domestic, the painter made a specialty of depicting tavern scenes and festivities typical of the peasant classes in Dutch society. The abundance of characters and attention to detail are characteristic of his work.

The Census of Bethlehem of 1610 combines the religious theme of the arrival of the Virgin Mary, pregnant with Christ, and Joseph in Bethlehem, with a scene of peasant festivities in a wintry setting. The biblical scene is set in a contemporary, but still peasant, context. The genre scene is therefore central to the Dutch art scene of the 17th century, and prominent in the work of Pieter Brueghel the Younger.