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The Census at Bethlehem

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And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered... So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
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on a donkey. A pig is being slaughtered, though of course such an event would never have occurred in Jewish Bethlehem. People are going about their daily business in the cold, children are shown playing with toys on the ice and having snowball fights. At the very centre of the painting is a spoked
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The painting shows Bethlehem as a Flemish village in winter at sundown. A group of people is gathered at a building on the left, having their details taken down by a scribe. A sign bearing the Habsburg double-headed eagle is visible on the building. Other people are making their way to the same
259:, a warning to keep away from leprosy. Leprosy was endemic in that part of Europe when the painting was created. There is a begging bowl in front of the hut. In the background, men drink at a makeshift bar, and in the distance are a well-kept church and a crumbling castle. 217:, which acquired it in 1902. It is one of the first paintings in Western art to feature a significant snow landscape and was painted in the aftermath of the winter of 1565, which was one of the harshest winters on record. 318:
and his studio made dozens of copies of the painting after his father's death, one of which was sold at auction for $ 10 million in 2013. Another copy, dated from 1610, is also at
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because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
105: 209:, painted in 1566. It is signed and measures about 1155 × 1645 mm. It is currently held and exhibited at the 54: 695: 876: 837: 267: 130: 569: 480: 43: 601: 370: 1063: 829: 671: 256: 961: 884: 341: 315: 434: 303:. The ruined castle in the background, at the painting's top right, is based on the towers and gates of 943: 900: 892: 735: 79: 973: 547: 336: 206: 141: 1058: 1033: 774: 32: 990: 967: 751: 593: 1053: 1007: 647: 979: 616: 8: 845: 639: 382: 263: 274:. However, Bruegel may well be making a more general criticism of bureaucratic methods. 374: 853: 821: 484: 453: 415: 300: 997: 908: 743: 984: 727: 378: 1022: 1002: 252: 170:
116 cm × 164.5 cm (46 in × 64.8 in)
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As he often did, Bruegel treats a biblical story, here the
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wheel, sometimes interpreted as being a reference to the
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 320:Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels 1020: 783:Winter Landscape with Ice skaters and Bird trap 237:Detail of ruined castle at painting's top right 532: 476:Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Drawings and Prints 332:List of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder 546: 509:at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium 688:Adoration of the Magi in a Winter Landscape 664:Adoration of the Magi in a Winter Landscape 539: 525: 385:, which also included most of present-day 129: 472: 381:, the Netherlands region was part of the 106:Learn how and when to remove this message 232: 224: 1021: 720:Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery 448:Cf. Max Seidel, Roger H. Marijnissen. 1029:Paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder 520: 277:The events depicted are described in 211:Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium 179:Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium 814:The Sermon of Saint John the Baptist 680:Landscape with the Flight into Egypt 118:Painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder 44:adding citations to reliable sources 15: 586:The Fight Between Carnival and Lent 299:This is a rare subject in previous 242:building, including the figures of 13: 578:Naval Battle in the Gulf of Naples 473:Orenstein, Nadine M., ed. (2001). 466: 14: 1075: 1039:Paintings in the Musée Oldmasters 610:Landscape with the Fall of Icarus 499: 926: 20: 877:The Peasant and the Nest Robber 31:needs additional citations for 760:The Wine of Saint Martin's Day 481:The Metropolitan Museum of Art 442: 427: 404: 363: 354: 220: 1: 913: 858: 795: 764: 621: 1044:Paintings of the Virgin Mary 632:The Fall of the Rebel Angels 452:. Pt.2, Random House, 1985. 7: 962:Pieter Brueghel the Younger 885:The Blind Leading the Blind 342:Pieter Brueghel the Younger 325: 316:Pieter Brueghel the Younger 10: 1080: 198:The Numbering at Bethlehem 1049:Paintings of Saint Joseph 954: 944:The Painter and The Buyer 935: 924: 893:The Magpie on the Gallows 791:Massacre of the Innocents 712:The Procession to Calvary 554: 310: 229:Detail of Mary and Joseph 174: 166: 155: 147: 137: 128: 123: 55:"The Census at Bethlehem" 974:Jan Brueghel the Younger 548:Pieter Bruegel the Elder 347: 337:Pieter Bruegel the Elder 207:Pieter Bruegel the Elder 201:) is an oil-on-panel by 142:Pieter Bruegel the Elder 806:The Census at Bethlehem 775:The Hunters in the Snow 704:The Death of the Virgin 410:Cf. Pietro Allegretti. 203:the Flemish Renaissance 192:The Census at Bethlehem 124:The Census at Bethlehem 991:The Mill and the Cross 968:Jan Brueghel the Elder 752:The Return of the Herd 696:Adoration of the Kings 594:Netherlandish Proverbs 297: 268:Spanish administration 238: 230: 1008:Bruegel (institution) 838:The Land of Cockaigne 414:. Milan:Skira, 2003. 360:Signed "BRVEGEL 1566" 283: 236: 228: 980:Breugel, Netherlands 617:The Triumph of Death 570:Parable of the Sower 40:improve this article 1064:Census of Quirinius 846:The Peasant Wedding 640:The Suicide of Saul 393:, and some land in 383:Seventeen Provinces 264:census of Quirinius 830:Conversion of Paul 672:The Tower of Babel 375:Holy Roman Emperor 239: 231: 1016: 1015: 854:The Peasant Dance 822:The Wedding Dance 564:List of paintings 301:Netherlandish art 246:and the pregnant 188: 187: 116: 115: 108: 90: 1071: 998:Bruegel (crater) 930: 918: 915: 909:The Storm at Sea 863: 860: 800: 797: 769: 766: 626: 623: 602:Children's Games 541: 534: 527: 518: 517: 513: 494: 460: 446: 440: 431: 425: 424: 408: 402: 367: 361: 358: 295: 270:in the southern 253:wheel of fortune 133: 121: 120: 111: 104: 100: 97: 91: 89: 48: 24: 16: 1079: 1078: 1074: 1073: 1072: 1070: 1069: 1068: 1019: 1018: 1017: 1012: 950: 931: 922: 916: 901:The Misanthrope 861: 798: 767: 744:The Hay Harvest 624: 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291:Luke 2:1-5, 284: 276: 261: 240: 197: 196: 191: 190: 189: 102: 96:October 2022 93: 83: 76: 69: 62: 50: 38:Please help 33:verification 30: 994:(2011 film) 917: 1569 869:The Beggars 862: 1567 799: 1565 768: 1565 648:Two Monkeys 625: 1562 581:(1558–1562) 512:(in French) 495:(see index) 272:Netherlands 248:Virgin Mary 221:Description 1023:Categories 976:(grandson) 507:The Census 391:Luxembourg 167:Dimensions 66:newspapers 656:Dull Gret 556:Paintings 371:Charles V 305:Amsterdam 936:Drawings 412:Brueghel 326:See also 289:—  215:Brussels 183:Brussels 175:Location 162:on panel 955:Related 450:Bruegel 399:Germany 387:Belgium 281:, 1-5: 257:clapper 205:artist 80:scholar 947:(1565) 904:(1568) 896:(1568) 888:(1568) 880:(1568) 872:(1568) 849:(1567) 841:(1567) 833:(1567) 825:(1566) 817:(1566) 809:(1566) 801:–1567) 786:(1565) 778:(1565) 770:–1568) 755:(1565) 747:(1565) 739:(1565) 731:(1565) 723:(1565) 715:(1564) 707:(1564) 699:(1564) 683:(1563) 675:(1563) 667:(1563) 659:(1563) 651:(1562) 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"The Census at Bethlehem"
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Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Oil
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Brussels
the Flemish Renaissance
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Brussels


Joseph
Virgin Mary
wheel of fortune
clapper
census of Quirinius
Spanish administration
Netherlands
Luke 2

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