Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625) was a Flemish painter, son of Pieter Brueghel the Elder and father of Jan Brueghel the Younger. Nicknamed 'Velvet' Brueghel, 'Flower' Brueghel, and 'Paradise' Brueghel, the latter two were derived from favored subjects, while the former may refer to the velveteen sheen of his colors or to his habit of wearing velvet.
A prolific painter of still lifes, often of flowers, and landscapes, he formed a style more independent of his father's than did his brother Pieter the Younger. His early works are often landscapes containing scenes from scripture, particularly forest landscapes betraying the influence of the master forest landscape-painter Gillis van Coninxloo. Later in his career, he moved toward the painting of pure landscapes and townscapes, and, toward the end, of still lifes.
Many of his paintings are collaborations in which figures by other painters were placed in landscapes painted by Jan Brueghel. The most famous of his collaborators was Peter Paul Rubens.
He had a studio in Antwerp in Belgium.
Jan Brueghel the Elder died of cholera in Antwerp.