The contribution discusses the technical examination of ten of the known copies of the Census at Bethlehem by Pieter Brueghel the Younger after Pieter Bruegel the Elder's original version. The material was studied with a view to answering some of the key questions surrounding the series and the artist, including the exact nature of the relationship of the copies to Pieter Bruegel the Elder's original painting, the copying process, the organization of the workshop and the level of contribution of studio hands.