What you are looking at
A gigantic, half-built spiral tower rises above a port city, swarming with tiny workers, cranes and ships, while the king inspects the work in the foreground.
Why it is famous
Bruegel showed the Bible story of human pride as a feat of engineering. He painted two versions: the larger one in Vienna and a smaller one in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
How big is The Tower of Babel?
The Tower of Babel measures 114.4 × 155.5 cm (45.0 × 61.2 in), without its frame. Its surface is about 4 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
Compare it with other paintings
Where to see it
It is in the Bruegel room at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, with The Hunters in the Snow.
Museums move and lend paintings. Check the museum's website before you travel to see one work. See all famous paintings in Vienna.
More by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
All Pieter Bruegel the Elder paintings
Frequently asked questions
Who painted The Tower of Babel?
Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted The Tower of Babel in 1563.
Where is The Tower of Babel?
The Tower of Babel is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. (Room X.)
How big is The Tower of Babel?
114.4 × 155.5 cm (45.0 × 61.2 in). Its surface is about 4 times the area of the Mona Lisa.
What is The Tower of Babel made with?
Oil on oak panel.
Sources: Kunsthistorisches Museum, The Tower of Babel (inv. 1026); Wikidata Q699091; Wikipedia, "The Tower of Babel". Checked October 17, 2026. How we check.