Special thanks to the Microsoft Corporation for permission to use following biographical information from Microsoft® Encarta '97:
Jan Brueghel the Elder was the most talented son of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, born in Brussels. He devoted his early career to flower painting and still lifes, and his suave renderings earned him the nickname “Velvet” Brueghel. Subsequently, Jan achieved fame for his beautifully detailed landscapes peopled with biblical and mythological figures. He also painted landscape settings for numerous portraitists, notably the Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens. Jan's best works include The Battle of Arbela (1610, Musée du Louvre, Paris) and Bowl with Jewels (1618, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels).
