Where to Hang It?

The Harvesters is one of a series of paintings called Months commissioned by wealthy Antwerp merchant Niclaes Jonghelinck. Of this series of paintings, five of six remain. They’re named: Gloomy Day, Return of the Herd, Hunters in the Snow, Haymaking, and The Harvesters. Each painting depicts a different two month period, and The Harvesters is usually identified as representing late summer, or July-August. Jonghelinck commissioned these six paintings between March 1565 to the end of January 1566. Perhaps the reason for Bruegel’s relatively few layers of paint, and quickly drawn underlayer was because he had to paint six different landscape paintings in a short period of time.

Originally, the work would have been seen in Niclaes Jonghelinck’s home. Jongehlinck owned sixteen of Bruegel’s works in his house. The series was for an extensive decorative scheme for the dining room of his suburban home, Ter Beken. Bruegel’s works were thematically connected with other works of art also commissioned by Niclaes Jonghelinck. His brother, Jacques Jonghelinck, was a sculptor was commissioned to make a sculpture series called Seven Planets depicting Bacchus and the seven planetary gods. Painter Frans Floris was commissioned to make a series of ten paintings titled Labors of Hercules that have since been lost to time since 1768. These commissions in Niclaes Jonghelinck’s dining hall would have nourished the soul and mind through conversations started by the works of art.