The Gloomy Day
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Gloomy Day is an oil on wood painting by Pieter Bruegel in 1565. The painting is one in a series of six works, five of which are still extant, that depict different times of the year. The painting is currently in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, located in Vienna, Austria.
The painting's scene is set around the start of the calendar year at around January, portrayed by the bleak atmosphere and leafless trees. The paper crown around the boy's head which refers to Epiphany and the eating of waffles which were commonly consumed at Carnival time prior to Lent. The sky, the ships crashing against the shoreline, and the children preparing themselves in the foreground suggest that harsh weather is coming.
Bruegel is famous for his paintings of scenery and nature. Most of his paintings of the countryside tell a story or have a moral message.
