Roslyn Harbor, NY - Nassau County Museum of Art (NCMA) unveils a never-before-seen small exhibition of paintings by Pieter Brueghel the Younger. The famed painting, Netherlandish Proverbs, is included in this first viewing on the East Coast. Among the other works are Seven Acts of Mercy, The Wedding Dance, Peasants Merrymaking and The Bird Trap. On exhibition August 26 through November 4.

Pieter Brueghel the Younger was the oldest son of the famous sixteenth-century Netherlandish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder (known as "Peasant Brueghel") and Mayken Coecke van Aelst. His father died in 1569, when Pieter the younger was only five years old. Then, following the death of his mother in 1578, Pieter, along with his brother Jan Brueghel the Elder ("Velvet Brueghel") and sister Marie, went to live with their grandmother Mayken Verhulst (widow of Pieter Coecke van Aelst). She was an artist in her own right, and according to Carel van Mander, possibly the first teacher of the two sons. The family moved to Antwerp sometime after 1578 and Pieter possibly entered the studio of the landscape painter Gillis van Coninxloo (1544-1607). He painted landscapes, religious subjects and fantasy paintings. For this last category he often made use of fire and grotesque figures, leading to his nickname "Hell Brueghel".

The exhibition is sponsored by the Belgian Tourist Office — Flanders Region and David Lerner Associates; it is supported in part by Astoria Federal Savings.

In conjunction with this exhibition, on Saturday, September 29, NCMA is presenting Sixteenth- and Seventeenth Century Flemish Culture, the first in a series of Humanities Symposia devoted to themes that arise in coming exhibitions at the museum. The September 29 keynote speaker is Wolfgang Mieder, Ph.D., Professor of German and Folklore at the University of Vermont. Watch our website, nassaumuseum.com, for further details. For information about the Belgium Tourist Office’s sponsorship of this exhibition, log onto visit www.belgium.com .

Nassau County Museum of Art is located at One Museum Drive (just off Northern Boulevard, Route 25A, two traffic lights west of Glen Cove Rd.) in Roslyn Harbor. Hours are 11 am to 4:45 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to the main building, the Arnold & Joan Saltzman Fine Art Building, is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+) and $4 for children; includes admission to the Tee Ridder Miniatures Museum. There is a $2 parking fee on weekends (members free). The Museum Shop and Red Room gallery are open all museum hours. Call (516) 484-9337 for current exhibitions, events, days/times and directions or log onto www.nassaumuseum.com