pieter brueghel the elder (c. 1525 – 9 september 1569) was a dutch or flemish renaissance painter and printmaker. he is known for his landscapes and peasant scenes. he is nicknamed 'peasant bruegel' to distinguish him from other members of the brueghel family. but he is the most famous of them and therefore in most of the cases when someone speaks of "brueghel" he thinks of him. from 1559 he dropped the 'h' from his name and started signing his paintings as bruegel.