Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind (1568) is an excellent example of the way in which Pieter Bruegel the Elder often referred to popular proverbs and puns in his genre scenes. In the mid-sixteenth century, there was an abundance of Netherlandish proverb collections published and contemporaries would have been familiar with and interested in the textual sources of Bruegel’s paintings. Unlike many other paintings that related to proverbs, Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind does not in any way disguise its moralistic message. The scene clearly refers to the scriptural theme “And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). In contrast to Bruegel’s other satirical paintings, this scene offers a tragic rather than humorous representation of mankind. The artist pays meticulous attention to every detail, as revealed in this close-up of a figure’s hair and clothes and the pond and plants in the surrounding landscape. Despite the focus on physical infirmities, the moral of the scene relates to “spiritual” blindness. All the men will fall and none of the witnessing townspeople or clergy members can save them. Although the figures are presented in a specific historical moment, the painting’s meaning is universal and ageless. ; 33-7/8 x 60-5/8 in.