The Meme Master of the Renaissance: Pieter Bruegel’s The Blue Cloak

In this video we look at The World Upside-down, a 1559 masterpiece packed with over 100 proverbs and idioms that reveal the humor and wisdom of 16th-century life. Often called the world’s first meme compilation, this chaotic, satirical painting captures timeless truths about human folly, ambition, and morality.