Frans Huys Pieter Bruegel the Elder Hieronymus Cock

The artistic collaboration involving Frans Huys, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and the publisher Hieronymus Cock was active between 1522 and 1565. This trio focused extensively on the creation and distribution of complex graphic works, specializing in detailed observational studies and dramatic historical scenes rendered as high-quality prints.

The body of work represented in major museum collections consists of thirteen documented prints, demonstrating a strong thematic focus on naval subjects, maritime travel, and warfare. These detailed compositions frequently capture the complexity of contemporary ship construction and the vastness of the sea.

Representative works include the large-scale print Armed Three-Master on the Open Sea, Accompanied by a Galley, the mythical seascape Armed Three-Master with Daedalus and Icarus in the Sky, and the historical depiction Naval Battle in the Straits of Messina. Further examples, such as A Fleet of Galleys Escorted by a Caravel and Armed Four-Master Putting Out to Sea, confirm the collaboration’s mastery of the maritime genre.

Thirteen of these graphic works are held in institutional collections, including the National Gallery of Art. Today, many of these Frans Huys Pieter Bruegel the Elder Hieronymus Cock prints are available as downloadable artwork, having passed into the public domain, where they continue to be studied for their historical and technical merit.