Hieronymus Bosch was a Flemish painter who was born in 1450 and buried on August 9, 1516. His birth name was Jeroen Anthoniszoon van Aken, but he changed his last name to Bosch after the last syllable of this birthplace, ‘s Hertogenbosch. He came from a family of artists; his father, uncle, and grandfather were all painters. However, Hieronymus Bosch was much more than a mere Renaissance artist with an interesting background – he was a master of using a brush to spread paint across a canvas.
Over his lifetime, Bosch, who had many imitators, created only 25 to 30 paintings definitively, and signed merely seven of these. His patrons are unknown. However, King Philip II of Spain collected some of his best work, such as “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” This painting (above; second image is the inside) has many facets and can be interpreted in hundreds of different ways. One interpretation is that the left panel, paradise, shows how things were in the beginning and could be again if humans were to completely obey the will of God. As a result, it is a very peaceful scene. The middle panel, filled with depictions of naked humans doing lustful things, shows how Bosch seems to view humanity: as a sex-driven animal that cannot be controlled. The right panel, which shows hell, demonstrates what will happen to people if humans continue down this path of sex-driven behavior: They will be tortured forever in a dark and fiery pit of despair. This may seem pessimistic, but then, Bosch was a very pessimistic person.
Another one of his famous works is “The Seven Deadly Sins and the Last Four Things,” sometimes called “Table of the Mortal Sins.” There are passages from the Bible written on this painting in intricate calligraphy which clearly indicate what his purpose was in creating it. Both are from the book of Deuteronomy. One says, “For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them,” and the other states, “O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.” The Jesus figure in the center of the piece comes with a warning: “Take care, take care, God is watching." Just like in “Earthly Delights,” Bosch is clearly telling his viewers that if they continue to sin, they will be judged by God.
Yet another one of Bosch’s works is “The Adoration of the Magi.” This one is considerably less focused on the negative than “Earthly Delights” and “Seven Deadly Sins," though the artist's typical pessimism is still there (as you can see in the first two thumbnails below). It's from his last period and has been preserved very well. There's a carving of the sacrifice of Isaac on the floor by Mary (third thumbnail below), which can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Christ.
Overall, Hieronymous Bosch was a fantastic Renaissance artist who clearly had a strong message that he wished to convey to - and about - society.
Works Cited:
“Hieronymus Bosch.” Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th edition (2011): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 3 December 2011.
Museo del Prado. Museo del Prado, 2011. Web. 4 December 2011.
Orienti, Sandra and Rene de Solier. Hieronymus Bosch. Italy: Milan, 1979. Print.
Written by kerrybush42 for the Art History Project
Join the Project |
AH Project Team |
CommunityRelations
