Mayken Coecke

Mayken Coecke (Brussels?, ca. 1545 – Brussels, 1578) or Maria Coecke was the daughter of Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Mayken Verhulst. Mayken married Pieter Bruegel the Elder in 1563. Bruegel was apprenticed to Pieter Coecke van Aelst, a leading Antwerp artist who had relocated to Brussels ^[1] ^[2].

They had three children: Pieter Brueghel the Younger (born 1564/65), Maria (born 1566) and Jan Brueghel the Elder (born 1568). Their sons later became known as "Helse Brueghel" and "Fluwelen Brueghel".

Mayken Coecke was mentioned as a painter herself in a 17th-century manuscript from Mechelen.^[3]

Mayken died in 1578. She was buried next to her husband in the Chapel Church, their son Jan Brueghel the Elder provided the church with a commemorative plaque honouring his parents.

Notes

^ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pieter-Bruegel-the-Elder
^ Terwijlen hy noch t'Antwerp woonde, hiel met een Meyt oft Dochter huys, welcke hy oock soude hebben ghetrouwt, dan hem mishaeghde, dat sy altijt (soo seer de waerheyt sparende) ghewent was te liegen. Hy maeckte met haer een verbondt en bespreck, hy soude al haer loghenen kerven op eenen kerfstock, waer toe hy eenen maeckte redelijck langh, en so den kerfstock met der tijdt quam vol te worden, soude t'Houwlijck gantsch uyt en te nieten zijn, ghelijck het eer langhen tijt gheschiede. Eyndlinghe, alsoo de Weduwe van Pieter Koeck ten lesten woonde te Brussel, werdt hy te vrijen haer dochter, die als verhaelt is, hy dickwils op den arem had gedraghen, en is met haer ghetrouwt: doch besprack de Moeder, dat Brueghel Antwerp verlatende most comen woonen te Brussel, op dat hy mocht verlaten en vergheten dat voorighe Meysken, het welck alsoo gheschiede. ("Het leven van Pieter Brueghel, uytnemende Schilder van Brueghel", in: Schilder-boeck).
^ Korte Levensbeschrijf van groote Mannen gebortig van Mechelen