So, the number of originals, the cost of beard care, the scope of anniversary celebrations and other important things...
They say that the biography of Hieronymus Bosch is a secret behind 7 seals, his paintings are an anthology of 7 deadly sins and another 777 venial sins, and to understand them adequately, you need at least 7 spans of brainpower. This is partly true. However, Arthive also has some other numbers at its disposal that shed light on the life, work and posthumous glory of Bosch.
5 sons Bosch's grandfather, Jan van Aken, had it. At least 4 of them (including Jerome's father, Anthony van Aken, who died around 1478) became artists.
Not a single painting by Bosch did not remain in 's-Hertogenbosch - the city in which the artist was born and died and which, most likely, he never left.
Every 19th of the inhabitants In the time of Bosch, 's-Hertogenbosch belonged to one of the religious congregations, and Bosch himself was a high-ranking (or, as they would say now, elite) member of the 's-Hertogenbosch Brotherhood of Our Lady. The same one that has existed since 1318 to this day, and at whose meetings it is customary to feast on roasted swan.
At least 14 documents, giving an idea of the financial situation of Hieronymus van Aken, who adopted the pseudonym “Bosch,” is available to his biographers. Having married his much older and far from poor Aleit Goyaerts van der Meerveen, the artist was never short of money, and by the beginning of the 16th century he was considered one of the richest residents of the city.
None of Bosch's works not dated by the author himself.
Not a single name of Bosch's paintings doesn't belong to him. All names - and even the names of the characters in the paintings - are later descriptions and interpretations.
5 by 13 centimeters- the smallest painting attributed to Bosch known to date. This is the "Portrait of an Old Woman" from the Boeysmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam. However, researchers are inclined to think that this is most likely not an independent portrait, but only a fragment of one of the unsurvived works. The female profile is reminiscent of the singing nun from another famous Louvre painting by Bosch, so it is assumed that the Rotterdam old woman could well be part of an unknown author's version of The Ship of Fools.
Hieronymus Bosch. Ship of Fools
Hieronymus Bosch. Head of a Woman (Head of an Old Woman)
Only 1 time female became the main character of Bosch's altar triptych. We are talking about the “Crucified Martyr” from the Doge’s Palace in Venice, also known by at least 3 other names: “Crucifixion of Saint Julia”, “Crucifixion of Saint Liberata” and “Crucifixion of Saint Vilgefortis” (from the Latin Virgo Fortis - steadfast Virgo).
Hieronymus Bosch. Crucified Martyr
1500s, 104×119 cm
300 thousand euros It was worth restoring the beard on the face of the heroine of Bosch’s triptych “The Martyrdom of St. Vilgefortis." According to legend, the Christian saint begged for a beard so as not to be forcibly married to a pagan king. It took specialists almost 8 months to completely restore the beard.
9 years lasted a large-scale “Project for the Study and Restoration of Bosch’s Works” (The Bosch Research and Conversation Project, BRCP) under the leadership of Jos Koldewey and Mathijs Ilsink - the beard of St. Vilgefortis was revived within its framework. One of the results of the Project, which ended in 2016, the year of the 500th anniversary of Bosch’s death, was the reattribution of some of the artist’s works. For example, “The 7 Deadly Sins and the 4 Last Things” and “The Extraction of the Stone of Folly” from the Prado, as well as “Carrying the Cross” from Ghent are considered by Dutch researchers to be the works of Bosch’s followers.
A total of 24 paintings and 20 drawings belong to the hand of Bosch, according to BRCP findings.
608 pages compiles a catalog raisonné of Bosch's works, published by Mercatorfonds as the result of a Dutch research project. You can purchase the catalog for 125 euros.
17 paintings and 19 drawings Through unprecedented negotiation efforts, Charles de Moey, director of the North Brabant Museum, managed to obtain Bosch from various museums around the world for the retrospective exhibition “Hieronymus Bosch. Visions of a genius", which took place in 's-Hertogenbosch from February to May 2016.
The organizers estimated the costs of the exhibition in 's-Hertogenbosch at 7 million euros, and preliminary research cost another 3 million.
More than 420 thousand people visited the exhibition “Hieronymus Bosch. Visions of a genius" in the artist’s homeland. The entrance ticket cost 22 euros.
"Three Philosophers" is the name of the famous painting by Giorgione, which, according to art critic Linda Harris, author of the book “The Secret Heresy of Hieronymus Bosch,” depicts Leonardo, Giorgione himself and Bosch, who secretly visited Venice (in the center).
Giorgione. Three philosophers
1504, 125.5×146.2 cm
80 years old held in the storerooms of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City a plaque “The Temptation of St. Anthony” with the attribution of “follower/imitator of Hieronymus Bosch,” until in 2016 the status of the painting was sensationally upgraded: the work is now considered to have been painted by Bosch himself.
Hieronymus Bosch. Temptation of Saint Anthony
1500s, 38.1×25.4 cm
220 by 390 centimeters— the dimensions of the “Garden of Earthly Delights.” This is the most ambitious work of Bosch that has survived to our time, not only in terms of the depth of artistic intent and skill of execution, but also simply in size. The second largest Bosch triptych is “The Last Judgment” (163.7 by 247 cm, Vienna), the third is “The Temptation of St. Anthony” (131.5 by 225 cm, Lisbon).
Hieronymus Bosch. Garden of Earthly Delights
Hieronymus Bosch. Last Judgment
Hieronymus Bosch. Temptation of Saint Anthony. Triptych
3 paintings by Bosch with the same name “Carrying the Cross” are kept in museums in three cities: the first in Vienna, the second in Madrid, and the third and most famous (although now not considered the original) in Ghent.
Hieronymus Bosch. Carrying the Cross
3 versions of "Adoration of the Magi" attributed to Bosch: a triptych stored in the Prado (Madrid), and two paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Hieronymus Bosch. Adoration of the Magi. Triptych
Hieronymus Bosch. Adoration of the Magi
2 wanderers, very similar to each other, were written by Bosch at different times. One is on the outer flaps of the triptych “A Wagon of Hay”, the second is on a board that is now on display in Rotterdam (perhaps these were also the flaps of the lost triptych). Some scientists are inclined to believe that Bosch generously endowed both wanderers with his own facial features. “This nose cannot be attributed to anyone else!” notes researcher Nicholas Bohm, author of the popular science film “The Mysteries of Hieronymus Bosch,” filmed by the BBC.
Hieronymus Bosch. A cart of hay. External doors of the triptych.
Hieronymus Bosch. Wanderer
4 types of temperament researchers discovered in Bosch’s painting “The Crowning of Thorns.” The sanguine person stretches his hands from the lower right corner, the choleric person puts his fingers into the wounds, the phlegmatic person puts a crown of thorns on Christ, and in the upper right corner the melancholic person puts his hand sympathetically on His shoulder. Many believe that the latter is a self-portrait of the artist.
Hieronymus Bosch. Crowning with thorns
1510, 73.8×59 cm
More than 40 Bosch characters available in the iOS and Android app called Bosch Camera, released by the organizers of the Bosch Year celebrations in 's-Hertogenbosch. With its help, the user can transfer Bosch's heroes into their photographs and collages.
3 dollars 99 cents you need to pay extra to be able to fly on a flying fish among the heroes of the central and right wings of Bosch’s triptych in the simulator application for iOS and Android “Bosch: a virtual journey through the Garden of Earthly Delights.” The left wing "Paradise" can be explored for free.
500 years ago, August 9, 1516, according to Bosch, a funeral mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of St. John.
Only 12 years before his death artist, in 1504, the pseudonym “Bosch” first appears in documents.
(around 1460-1516)
Hieronymus Bosch (real name Hieron van Aken) is one of the most talented artists of the 15th century. The biography of Hieronymus Bosch is not too complex and confusing. He spent almost his entire life in his homeland - in the city of 's-Hertogenbosch in North Brabant. His grandfather and father, professional painters, began teaching the art of Hieronymus Bosch. Then he visited the Dutch cities of Harlem and Delft, where he improved his art.
Having become a master painter, in 1480 he returned to his homeland, and thanks to his popularity, already in 1481 he married one of the richest brides in the city. From that time on, the artist had the opportunity to work for himself, but he also had to carry out traditional orders. Gradually, the work of Hieronymus Bosch spread far beyond the borders of his hometown: the artist was approached with orders from everywhere, including the kings of France and Spain. Every genius has his own secret, and Bosch is no exception. The secret of Hieronymus Bosch is that he was schizophrenic.
Paintings by Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch's paintings are generally undated; Now we can only roughly outline the main milestones of his work.
Seven deadly sins
One of his famous early works is the painting “The Seven Deadly Sins”. In the center of the picture is the figure of Christ, under which is written: “Beware, beware, God sees.” Around are images of the seven mortal (capable of completely destroying the soul) sins - gluttony, vanity, voluptuousness, anger, laziness, greed and envy. Bosch finds an example from life for each of the sins, well understood by the viewer: anger illustrated by a scene of a drunken fight: envy appears in the form of a shopkeeper looking angrily towards his neighbor; selfishness embodies the judge taking a bribe. It is this picture that shows the death of the most ordinary people;
However, at the edges of the composition there are images of the Last Judgment, Hell, Heaven and Death, as if once again warning people not to commit mortal sins, because retribution always follows them.
A cart of hay
The creation of this painting began in 1500 and lasted about 2 years. At this time, Hieronymus Bosch was already considered a “mature” artist. In the center of the composition there is a haystack, people around which are trying to grab at least something from it; Most likely, the artist took as a basis the old Dutch proverb “The world is a haystack, and everyone tries to grab as much as they can from it.”
The painting was painted on a three-leaf altar, the outer side surfaces of which describe the symbol of earthly life - a wandering, ragged wanderer, noticing all sorts of (both small and larger) troubles and manifestations of evil on his way.
An angry dog growls at him, a passerby is robbed, an execution is carried out on a hill, and black crows circle over the carrion, but, despite all this, a couple of peasants dance to the bagpipes.
In a more expanded form, the image of the sinful world is demonstrated by the open altar - here Hieronymus Bosch depicts not a small part, but the entire path of earthly history, starting with the rebellion of Satan against God (the scene of the battle in heaven and the overthrow of the rebels), ending with the end of the earthly world.
In the center of the triptych is the earthly world, which personifies a huge cart of hay, which means the short-lived temptations of the world: power, wealth, pleasures and the like.
In The Seven Deadly Sins, Hieronymus Bosch expanded on the proverb by depicting the harmonious peace of nature in the background, with the solitary figure of Christ looming in the skies above.
Garden of Delights
At the beginning of the 16th century, Hieronymus Bosch created the “Garden of Delights” - the most famous and mysterious painting. The painting was based on very traditional scenes of the creation of the world, Hell and Paradise, but overall the composition turned into something very original. It is located on a three-leaf altar, on the outer surface of the doors of which the Earth is depicted in the form of a transparent sphere on the 3rd day of its creation. The inner left part of the altar doors continues the theme of the creation of the world (days 4-7 of creation). On the right side of the doors there is a picture of Hell, in the center of which is a “tree of death” growing from a frozen lake. In the center of the painting “Garden of Pleasures” Bosch depicted the so-called “garden of love”, through which many loving couples walk. The garden exudes its beauty - naked men and women swim in stunning ponds, ride on various animals (panthers, deer, griffins).
Hieronymus Bosch is one of the most mysterious artists, about whom very little is known, but whose works continue to excite the imagination.
Biography of Hieronymus Bosch
Oddly enough, very little is known about the life of the artist Hieronymus Bosch. He comes from a family of hereditary painters Van Aken. The future maestro of painting was born in the small Dutch town of 's-Hertogenbosch. The exact date of birth is unknown (according to assumptions - around 1450). His life path was not distinguished by any special zigzags or vicissitudes of fate. Bosch married favorably, entered the leadership of the Brotherhood of Our Lady, had recognition and many orders. Therefore, one of the cornerstones remains the question, where does so much drama come from in the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch? Neither before him nor after him has anyone so truthfully exposed the world of human vices and passions. Bosch turned art into a mirror of the modern world.
The artist began his creative path with painting altars and temple elements. By nature, he was a cheerful, sociable and positive person. When and at what moment did strange images begin to appear in his head, which were subsequently reflected in paintings? In what hidden corners of consciousness did a demonic world begin to be born, filled with strange creatures? Probably no one will be able to answer this question. Because of his visions, his colleagues called the artist “emeritus professor of nightmares.” He really depicted the other world with special detail; his works are filled with symbolism. At first glance, it seems that the paintings were created by a religious person to intimidate sinners. But the researchers came to the conclusion that the paintings, which the author, by the way, never signed for some reason, contain a much deeper meaning. He turned the ordinary world upside down and inside out. And what is most paradoxical is that Bosch’s paintings are still relevant, modern and timely, although more than five centuries have passed since the death of their creator.
Works of Hieronymus Bosch
Most of the works created by this great Dutch master, unfortunately, have been lost. Only a few paintings by Hieronymus Bosch have reached us with titles that speak for themselves. Let's look at the most famous paintings, which contain the quintessence of the artist's worldview.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Garden of Earthly Delights"
This unique triptych was probably created between 1500 and 1515 for years. The author showed the life of humanity who made a choice in favor of sin. The left side of the triptych is a picture of heaven, the right side shows hell. The central part is dedicated to earthly life, in which a person loses paradise. There are suggestions that the artist depicted himself in part of hell.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Last Judgment" Another triptych, the largest surviving work by the painter. On the left side is an image of heaven, in the center is a picture of the Last Judgment, and on the right side is the terrible fate of sinners in hell. This work is considered one of the most frightening paintings of hellish torment. Bosch's contemporaries were convinced that the author had seen the monsters of the underworld with his own eyes.
Hieronymus Bosch "Ship of Fools" The painting “Ship of Fools” is considered to be the upper part of one of the wings of the triptych, which did not survive. The painting “Allegory of Gluttony and Voluptuousness” is identified with the lower part. In this work, as in many others, the author exposes and ridicules human vices. Among the ship's passengers are representatives of various social classes, symbolizing vanity, drunkenness, debauchery, etc.
Hieronymus Bosch "Extraction of the Stone of Folly" This is a rather strange picture, the meaning of which is still being tried to decipher. The canvas depicts a surgical operation, which for some reason is carried out in the open air. On the doctor's head is an inverted funnel, and on the nun's head is a book. According to one version, these objects symbolize the uselessness of knowledge in the face of stupidity, according to another - charlatanism.
Hieronymus Bosch "A Wain of Hay" In the triptych “A Wain of Hay”, Bosch’s favorite theme is repeated again – the theme of sin and human vices. A huge cart with hay is pulled by seven monsters, symbolizing various vices - cruelty, greed, pride, etc. And around there are many people trying to grab the hay for themselves. The Almighty is watching all this from above on a golden cloud.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" This is one of Bosch's most famous works. The triptych is made on wooden boards, which depicts the well-known story of the temptation of St. Anthony during his stay in the desert. The images of the picture are strange and unusual, and the main idea is the eternal struggle between good and evil, when demons try to lead a person astray from the true path.
Despite the title, this work is only indirectly related to the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son, which is why the title “Traveler” or “Pilgrim” is more often used. The plot is based on one of Bosch’s favorite themes - the theme of temptations on the path of life.
"Nesenye of the cross"
Hieronymus Bosch "Carrying the Cross" This work is one of the most recognizable, a kind of “calling card” of the artist, in which he managed to show the true essence of human nature, what people really are. However, there is controversy about this painting, since a number of researchers believe that Bosch is not the author of this painting.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Magician" This is a work from the early period of Hieronymus Bosch. Like the rest of the works of the great master, this picture is full of symbolism and mysteries, and behind the simple plot about the charlatan “thimble maker” lies a very deep meaning.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Seven Deadly Sins" Another painting by Bosch, the authorship of which is being questioned due to imperfect execution. Of the 11 fragments (the image of the 7 sins and the 4 last things), according to researchers, only two were made by the artist personally. But there is no doubt that the idea of the painting belongs to Bosch.
Hieronymus Bosch "Adoration of the Magi" One of the few bright works by Bosch, which, moreover, is perfectly preserved. The triptych “Adoration of the Magi” was commissioned by a burgher from 's-Hertogenbosch on the occasion of his wedding. Both the customer himself and his bride, as well as their patron saints - St. Peter and St. Agnes - are depicted on the outer doors.
Hieronymus Bosch "The Blessed and the Damned" “The Blessed and the Damned” is a polyptych consisting of four paintings: “Earthly Paradise” and “Ascent into the Empyrean” on the left side and “Hell” on the right side. It is believed that the central part of the work may have been lost. The most famous is the second fragment, in which angels lead the souls of the righteous through a conical tunnel to eternal bliss.
Hieronymus Bosch "Self-Portrait" Bosch's self-portrait, written in pencil on sagnine, has small dimensions - only 40 by 28 cm. The drawing is stored in the municipal library in Arras in France.
Copies of all the surviving works of the great painter can be seen in his hometown, where the museum was founded. In 2016, an exhibition dedicated to the work of the famous countryman was held here. The story of this exhibition is as incredible as the artist's life. It was she who formed the basis of the film “Hieronymus Bosch: Inspired by the Devil.”
His works continue to be explored, but it seems to me that the mysteries of Hieronymus Bosch are unlikely to be solved, at least not in the near future.
CategoryYears Antonison Van Aken (Jeroen Anthoniszoon Van Aken), better known as Jerony Bosch (Nether. Jeronimus Bosch [ˌɦijeˈnimʏs ˈbɔs], Latin by hieronymus bosch; about 1450-1516) - Netherdish hereditary artist of the largest masters of the period of the northern revival . About ten paintings and twelve drawings from the artist’s work have survived. He was initiated into the Brotherhood of Our Lady (Dutch. Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap; 1486); considered one of the most mysterious painters in the history of Western art. In Bosch's hometown, the Dutch town of 's-Hertogenbosch, a Bosch Center has been opened, which displays copies of all his works.
Jeroen van Aken was born around 1450 in 's-Hertogenbosch (Brabant). The van Aken family, which originated from the German city of Aachen, has long been associated with painting - the artists were Jan van Aken (Bosch's grandfather, d. 1454) and four of his five sons, including Jerome's father, Anthony. Since nothing is known about Bosch’s development as an artist, it is assumed that he received his first lessons in painting in the family workshop.
Bosch lived and worked mainly in his native 's-Hertogenbosch, which at that time was part of the Duchy of Burgundy, and is now the administrative center of the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. The first mention of Bosch in archival documents dates back to 1474, where he is called “Jheronimus”.
According to information about the artist’s life preserved in the city archive, his father died in 1478, and Bosch inherited his art workshop. The van Aken workshop carried out a wide variety of orders - primarily wall paintings, but also gilding wooden sculptures and even making church utensils. “Hieronymus the painter” (according to a document of 1480) took a pseudonym after the abbreviated name of his hometown - Den Bosch - during the period of change of power in the country: after the death of Charles the Bold (1477), power in the Burgundian Netherlands passed in 1482 from the Valois to the Habsburgs.
Around 1480, the artist married Aleit Goyaerts van der Meervene, whom he apparently knew from childhood. She came from a wealthy merchant family from 's-Hertogenbosch. Thanks to this marriage, Bosch becomes an influential burgher in his hometown. They had no children.
In 1486 he joined the Brotherhood of Our Lady ("Zoete Lieve Vrouw"), a religious society that arose in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1318 and consisted of both monks and laymen. The brotherhood, dedicated to the cult of the Virgin Mary, was also involved in charity work. In archival documents, Bosch's name is mentioned several times: he, as a painter, was entrusted with various orders, ranging from the design of festive processions and ritual sacraments of the Brotherhood to the painting of altar doors for the Chapel of the Brotherhood in the Cathedral of St. John (1489, the painting is lost) or even a model of a candelabra.
In 1497, his elder brother Gossen van Aken died. In 1504, Bosch received an order from the governor of the Netherlands, Philip the Fair, for the triptych “The Last Judgment.”
The painter died on August 9, 1516, the funeral service took place in the mentioned chapel of the cathedral. The solemnity of this ceremony confirms Bosch’s close connection with the Brotherhood of Our Lady.
Six months after Bosch’s death, his wife distributed to his heirs what little was left after the artist. There is every reason to believe that Hieronymus Bosch never owned any real estate. Bosch's wife survived her husband by three years.
Bosch's art has always had enormous attractive power. Previously, it was believed that the devilry in Bosch’s paintings was intended only to amuse the audience, to tickle their nerves, like those grotesque figures that the masters of the Italian Renaissance wove into their ornaments.
Modern scientists have come to the conclusion that Bosch’s work contains a much deeper meaning, and have made many attempts to explain its meaning, find its origins, and give it an interpretation. Some consider Bosch to be something like a 15th-century surrealist, who extracted his unprecedented images from the depths of the subconscious, and when they mention his name, they invariably remember Salvador Dali. Others believe that Bosch's art reflects medieval "esoteric disciplines" - alchemy, astrology, black magic. Still others try to connect the artist with various religious heresies that existed in that era. According to Frenger, Bosch was a member of the Brotherhood of the Free Spirit, whose adherents were also called Adamites, a heretical sect that arose in the 13th century, but developed rapidly throughout Europe several centuries later. However, most scientists reject this hypothesis, since there is no data confirming the existence of the sect in the Netherlands during Bosch’s lifetime.
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Bosch, Bosch Hieronymus [actually Hieronymus van Aeken] (c. 1450/60–1516), great Netherlandish painter. He worked mainly in 's-Hertogenbosch in North Flanders. One of the most prominent masters of the early Northern Renaissance
Hieronymus Bosch, in his multi-figure compositions and paintings on the themes of folk sayings, proverbs and parables, combined sophisticated medieval fantasy, grotesque demonic images generated by a boundless imagination with realistic innovations unusual for the art of his era.
Bosch's style is unique and has no analogues in the Dutch painting tradition.
The work of Hieronymus Bosch is at the same time innovative and traditional, naive and sophisticated; it fascinates people with a feeling of some kind of mystery known to one artist. “Eminent master” - this is how Bosch was called in 's-Hertogenbosch, to whom the artist remained faithful until the end of his days, although his lifetime fame spread far beyond the borders of his hometown.
It is believed to be an early work by Bosch: between 1475 and 1480. The Seven Deadly Sins was in De Guevara's collection in Brussels around 1520 and was acquired by Philip II of Spain in 1670. The painting “The Seven Deadly Sins” hung in the personal chambers of King Philip II of Spain, apparently helping him violently persecute heretics.
A composition of symmetrically arranged circles and two unfolding scrolls, where quotations from Deuteronomy prophesy with deep pessimism about the fate of humanity. In the circles are Bosch's first depiction of Hell and the singular interpretation of Heavenly Paradise. The seven deadly sins are depicted in segments of God's all-seeing eye in the center of the composition; they are presented in a distinctly moralizing manner.
This work is one of Bosch's most clear and moralizing works and is equipped with detailed quotations from Deuteronomy that explain the meaning of what is depicted. The words inscribed on the fluttering scrolls: “For they are a people who have lost their minds, and there is no sense in them.” And “I will hide my face from them and see what their end will be,”- define the theme of this pictorial prophecy.
"Ship of Fools" is without a doubt a satire
In the painting "Ship of Fools", a monk and two nuns shamelessly have fun with peasants in a boat with a jester as its helmsman. Perhaps this is a parody of the ship of the Church, leading souls to eternal salvation, or perhaps an accusation of lust and intemperance against the clergy.
The passengers of the fantastic ship, sailing to the “Country of Stupidity”, personify human vices. The grotesque ugliness of the heroes is embodied by the author in shining colors. Bosch is both real and symbolic. The world created by the artist is beautiful in itself, but stupidity and evil reign in it.
Most of the subjects of Bosch's paintings are associated with episodes from the life of Christ or saints opposing vice, or are gleaned from allegories and proverbs about human greed and stupidity.
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Saint Anthony1500s. Prado Museum, Madrid. |
Bosch depicted the “earthly” temptation of Saint Anthony, when the devil, distracting him from meditation, tempted him with earthly goods.
His round back and pose, closed with intertwined fingers, speak of an extreme degree of immersion in meditation.
Even the devil in the form of a pig stood calmly next to Anthony, like a tamed dog. So does the saint in Bosch’s painting see or not see the monsters that surround him?
They are visible only to us sinners, for "what we contemplate is what we are
Bosch's depiction of the internal conflict of a person reflecting on the nature of Evil, about the best and the worst, about the desired and the forbidden, resulted in a very accurate picture of vice. Anthony, with his strength, which he receives by the grace of God, resists a barrage of vicious visions, but can an ordinary mortal resist all this?
The hero of the picture - skinny, in a torn dress and mismatched shoes, withered and as if flattened on a plane - is presented in a strange stopped and yet continuing movement.
It is almost copied from life - in any case, European art did not know such an image of poverty before Bosch - but there is something of an insect in the dry emaciation of its forms.
This is the life that a person leads, with which, even leaving it, he is connected. Only nature remains pure, endless. The dull color of the painting expresses Bosch's thought - gray, almost grisaille tones unite both people and nature. This unity is natural and natural
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Bosch in the picture depicts Jesus Christ among a raging crowd, densely filling the space around him with angry, triumphant faces.
For Bosch, the image of Christ is the personification of boundless mercy, spiritual purity, patience and simplicity. He is opposed by powerful forces of evil. They subject him to terrible torment, physical and spiritual. Christ shows man an example of overcoming all difficulties.
In its artistic qualities, “Carrying the Cross” contradicts all pictorial canons. Bosch depicted a scene whose space had lost all connection with reality. Heads and torsos protrude from the darkness and disappear in the darkness.
He transfers ugliness, both external and internal, into a certain higher aesthetic category, which even after six centuries continues to excite minds and feelings.
In Hieronymus Bosch's painting The Crowning of Thorns, Jesus, surrounded by four torturers, appears before the viewer with an air of solemn humility. Before execution, two warriors crown his head with a crown of thorns.
The number “four” - the number of the depicted tormentors of Christ - among symbolic numbers stands out for its special wealth of associations; it is associated with the cross and the square. Four parts of the world; four Seasons; four rivers in Paradise; four evangelists; four great prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel; four temperaments: sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic.
The four evil faces of Christ’s tormentors are the bearers of four temperaments, that is, all varieties of people. The two faces at the top are considered the embodiment of the phlegmatic and melancholic temperament, the bottom - the sanguine and choleric.
The impassive Christ is placed in the center of the composition, but the main thing here is not he, but the triumphant Evil, who has taken the form of tormentors. Evil appears to Bosch as a natural link in some prescribed order of things.
Hieronymus Bosch Altarpiece "The Temptation of St. Anthony", 1505-1506
The triptych summarizes the main motifs of Bosch's work. The image of the human race, mired in sins and stupidity, and the endless variety of hellish torments awaiting it, is joined here by the Passion of Christ and scenes of the temptation of the saint, whose unshakable firmness of faith allows him to withstand the onslaught of enemies - the World, the Flesh, the Devil.
The painting “The Flight and Fall of Saint Anthony” is the left wing of the altar “The Temptation of Saint Anthony” and tells the story of the saint’s struggle with the Devil. The artist returned to this topic more than once in his work. Saint Anthony is an instructive example of how one must resist earthly temptations, be on guard at all times, not accept everything that seems to be true, and know that deception can lead to God's damnation.
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Taking Jesus into custody and carrying the cross1505-1506. National Museum, Lisbon. |
Left outer door “The Taking of Jesus into custody in the Garden of Gethsemane.” Right outer wing “Carrying the Cross”.
The central part of “The Temptation of St. Anthony”. The space of the picture is literally teeming with fantastic, implausible characters.
In that era when the existence of Hell and Satan was an immutable reality, when the coming of the Antichrist seemed completely inevitable, the fearless fortitude of the saint, looking at us from his chapel, filled with the forces of evil, should have encouraged people and instilled hope in them.
The right wing of the triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights” received its name “Musical Hell” because of the images of instruments used as instruments of torture
The victim becomes the executioner, the prey becomes the hunter, and this perfectly conveys the chaos reigning in Hell, where the normal relationships that once existed in the world are inverted, and the most ordinary and harmless objects of everyday life, growing to monstrous proportions, turn into instruments of torture.
Hieronymus Bosch Altarpiece "Garden of Earthly Delights", 1504-1505
The left wing of the triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights” depicts the last three days of the creation of the world and is called “Creation” or “Earthly Paradise”.
The artist populates the fantastic landscape with many real and unreal species of flora and fauna.
In the foreground of this landscape, depicting the antediluvian world, there is depicted not a scene of temptation or expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, but their union by God.
He holds Eve's hand as is customary in a marriage ceremony. Here Bosch depicts the mystical wedding of Christ, Adam and Eve
In the center of the composition, the Source of Life rises - high. a thin, pink structure decorated with intricate carvings. Precious stones sparkling in the mud, as well as fantastic beasts, are probably inspired by medieval ideas about India, which has captivated the imagination of Europeans with its wonders since the time of Alexander the Great. There was a popular and fairly widespread belief that it was in India that Eden, lost by man, was located.
The altarpiece “The Garden of Earthly Delights” is the most famous triptych of Hieronymus Bosch, which got its name from the theme of the central part, dedicated to the sin of voluptuousness - Luxuria.
One should not assume that Bosch intended the crowd of naked lovers to become the apotheosis of sinless sexuality. For medieval morality, sexual intercourse, which in the 20th century they finally learned to perceive as a natural part of human existence, was more often proof that man had lost his angelic nature and fallen low. At best, copulation was viewed as a necessary evil, at worst as a mortal sin. Most likely, for Bosch, the garden of earthly pleasures is a world corrupted by lust.
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World creation1505-1506. Prado Museum, Madrid. |
This rare, if not unique, plot demonstrates the depth and power of Bosch’s imagination.
Hieronymus Bosch Altarpiece "Hay Wagon", 1500-1502
Paradise, triptych of a cart of hay |
The left shutter of Hieronymus Bosch's triptych “A Wain of Hay” is dedicated to the theme of the Fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. The traditional, cult nature of this composition is beyond doubt: it includes four episodes from the biblical Book of Genesis - the casting down of the rebel angels from heaven, the creation of Eve, the Fall, and expulsion from Paradise. All scenes are distributed in the space of a single landscape depicting Paradise.
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A cart of hay1500-1502, Prado Museum, Madrid. |
The world is a haystack: everyone grabs as much as they can. The human race appears mired in sin, completely rejecting divine institutions and indifferent to the fate prepared for it by the Almighty.
Hieronymus Bosch's triptych “A Wain of Hay” is considered the first of the great satirical and legal allegories of the mature period of the artist’s work.
Against the backdrop of an endless landscape, a cavalcade moves behind a huge cart of hay, and among them are the emperor and the pope (with recognizable features of Alexander VI). Representatives of other classes - peasants, townspeople, clergy and nuns - grab armfuls of hay from a cart or fight for it. Christ, surrounded by a golden radiance, watches the feverish human bustle from above with indifference and detachment.
No one, except the angel praying on top of the cart, notices either the Divine presence or the fact that the cart is being pulled by demons.
The right shutter of Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "A Wain of Hay". The image of Hell is found in Bosch's works much more often than Heaven. The artist fills the space with apocalyptic fires and ruins of architectural buildings, making one remember Babylon - the Christian quintessence of the demonic city, traditionally contrasted with the “City of Heavenly Jerusalem”. In his version of Hell, Bosch relied on literary sources, coloring the motifs drawn from there by playing with his own imagination.
The external shutters of the altar “Hay Wagon” have their own name “Life’s Path” and are inferior in craftsmanship to the image on the internal shutters and were probably completed by Bosch’s apprentices and students
The path of Bosch's pilgrim runs through a hostile and treacherous world, and all the dangers it conceals are presented in the details of the landscape. Some threaten life, embodied in the images of robbers or an evil dog (however, it can also symbolize slanderers, whose evil tongue was often compared to the barking of a dog). The dancing peasants are an image of a different, moral danger; like lovers on top of a hay cart, they were seduced by the “music of the flesh” and submitted to it.
Hieronymus Bosch “Visions of the Underworld”, part of the “Last Judgment” altarpiece, 1500-1504
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Earthly Paradise, composition Visions of the Underworld |
In his mature period of creativity, Bosch moves from depicting the visible world to the imaginary one, generated by his irrepressible imagination. Visions appear to him as if in a dream, because Bosch’s images are devoid of corporeality, they intricately combine enchanting beauty and unreal, like in a nightmare, horror: ethereal phantom figures are devoid of earthly gravity and easily fly up. The main characters of Bosch's paintings are not so much people as grimacing demons, scary and at the same time funny monsters.
This is a world beyond the control of common sense, the kingdom of the Antichrist. The artist translated the prophecies that spread in Western Europe at the beginning of the 16th century - the time when the End of the World was predicted,
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Ascension to the Empyrean1500-1504, Doge's Palace, Venice. |
The Earthly Paradise is located directly below the Heavenly Paradise. This is a kind of intermediate stage where the righteous are cleansed of the last stains of sin before they appear before the Almighty.
Those depicted, accompanied by angels, march to the source of life. Those who have already been saved turn their gaze to heaven. In “Ascension into the Empyrean,” disembodied souls, freed from all earthly things, rush towards the bright light shining above their heads. This is the last thing that separates the souls of the righteous from eternal merging with God, from “the absolute depth of revealed divinity.”
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Overthrow of Sinners1500-1504, Doge's Palace, Venice. |
“The Overthrow of Sinners” sinners, carried away by demons, fly down in the darkness. The contours of their figures are barely highlighted by flashes of hellish flame.
Many other visions of Hell created by Bosch also seem chaotic, but only at first glance, and upon closer examination they always reveal logic, a clear structure and meaningfulness.
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Hell's rivercomposition Visions of the Underworld1500-1504, Doge's Palace, Venice. |
In the painting “Hell's River,” a column of fire shoots into the sky from the top of a steep cliff, and below, in the water, the souls of sinners flounder helplessly. In the foreground is a sinner, if not yet repentant, then at least thoughtful. He sits on the shore, not noticing the demon with wings who is pulling his hand. The Last Judgment is the main theme running through all of Bosch's work. He depicts the Last Judgment as a global catastrophe, a night illuminated by flashes of hellfire, against the backdrop of which monstrous monsters torture sinners.
During the time of Bosch, clairvoyants and astrologers claimed that the Antichrist would rule the world before the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Many then believed that this time had already come. The Apocalypse - the Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian, written during the period of religious persecution in Ancient Rome, a vision of the terrifying catastrophes to which God would subject the world for the sins of people, became extremely popular. Everything will perish in the purifying flame.
The painting “Extracting the Stones of Stupidity,” which illustrates the procedure for extracting the stone of madness from the brain, is dedicated to human naivety and depicts the typical quackery of healers of that time. Several symbols are depicted, such as a funnel of wisdom placed on the surgeon's head in mockery, a jug on his belt, and a patient's bag pierced with a dagger.
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Marriage in Cana |
In the traditional plot of the first miracle performed by Christ - the transformation of water into wine - Bosch introduces new elements of mystery. A psalm-reader who stands with his arms raised in front of the bride and groom, a musician in a makeshift gallery, a master of ceremonies pointing to the finely crafted ceremonial dishes on display, a servant who faints - all these figures are completely unexpected and unusual for the plot being depicted.
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Magician1475 - 1480s. Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. |
Hieronymus Bosch's board "The Magician" is a picture full of humor, where the very faces of the characters and, of course, the behavior of the main characters are funny: an insidious charlatan, a simpleton who believed that he spat out a frog, and a thief carrying his bag with an indifferent look.
The painting “Death and the Miser” was painted on a plot, perhaps inspired by the well-known edifying text “Ars moriendi” (“The Art of Dying”) in the Netherlands, which describes the struggle of devils and angels for the soul of a dying person.
Bosch captures the climactic moment. Death crosses the threshold of the room, an angel calls on the image of the crucified Savior, and the devil tries to take possession of the soul of a dying miser.
The painting “Allegory of Gluttony and Lust” or otherwise “Allegory of Gluttony and Lust”, apparently, Bosch considered these sins to be among the most disgusting and inherent primarily in monks.
Painting "The Crucifixion of Christ". For Bosch, the image of Christ is the personification of mercy, spiritual purity, patience and simplicity. He is opposed by powerful forces of evil. They subject him to terrible torment, physical and spiritual. Christ shows man an example of overcoming all difficulties. It is followed by both saints and some ordinary people.
Painting "Prayer of St. Jerome". Saint Jerome was the patron saint of Hieronymus Bosch. Maybe that’s why the hermit is portrayed rather reservedly
Saint Jerome or Blessed Jerome of Stridon is one of the four Latin Fathers of the Church. Jerome was a man of powerful intellect and fiery temperament. He traveled widely and in his youth made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Later he retired for four years to the Chalcis desert, where he lived as an ascetic hermit.
The painting “Saint John on Patmos” by Bosch depicts John the Evangelist, who writes his famous prophecy on the island of Patmos.
Around the year 67, the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) of the holy Apostle John the Theologian was written. In it, according to Christians, the secrets of the fate of the Church and the end of the world are revealed.
In this work, Hieronymus Bosch illustrates the words of the saint: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
John the Baptist or John the Baptist - according to the Gospels, the closest predecessor of Jesus Christ, who predicted the coming of the Messiah. He lived in the desert as an ascetic, then preached baptism of repentance for the Jews. He baptized Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, then was beheaded due to the machinations of the Jewish princess Herodias and her daughter Salome.
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Saint Christopher1505. Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam. |
Saint Christopher is depicted as a giant carrying a blessing Child across the river - an episode directly following from his life
Saint Christopher is a martyr saint revered by the Catholic and Orthodox churches who lived in the 3rd century.
One of the legends says that Christopher was a Roman of enormous stature, who originally bore the name Reprev.
One day a little boy asked him to carry him across the river. In the middle of the river he became so heavy that Christopher was afraid that they would both drown. The boy told him that he was Christ and carried with him all the burdens of the world. Then Jesus baptized Reprev in the river, and he received his new name - Christopher, “carrying Christ.” Then the Child told Christopher that he could stick a branch into the ground. This branch miraculously grew into a fruitful tree. This miracle converted many to faith. Enraged by this, the local ruler imprisoned Christopher, where, after much torment, he suffered a martyr's death.
In the composition, Bosch significantly enhances the role of the negative characters surrounding Christ, bringing to the fore the images of robbers. The artist constantly turned to the motive of saving a world full of evil through the self-sacrifice of Christ. If at the first stage of creativity Bosch’s main theme was criticism of human vices, then, as a mature master, he strives to create the image of a positive hero, embodying him in images of Christ and saints.
The Mother of God sits majestically in front of a dilapidated hut. She shows the baby to the wise men, dressed in luxurious clothes. There is no doubt that Bosch deliberately gives the worship of the Magi the character of a liturgical service: this is evidenced by the gifts that the eldest of the “Eastern kings” Balthasar lays at the feet of Mary - a small sculptural group depicts Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac; this is a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
Hieronymus Bosch often chose the lives of saints as the theme for his paintings. Unlike the traditions of medieval painting, Bosch rarely depicts the miracles they performed and the winning, spectacular episodes of their martyrdom that delighted the people of that time. The artist glorifies the “quiet” virtues associated with self-absorbed contemplation. In Bosch there are no holy warriors, no gentle virgins desperately defending their chastity. His heroes are hermits, indulging in pious reflections against the backdrop of landscapes.
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Martyrdom of Saint Liberata1500-1503, Doge's Palace, Venice. |
Saint Liberata or Vilgefortis (from Latin Virgo Fortis - Steadfast Virgin; 2nd century) is a Catholic saint, the patroness of girls seeking to get rid of annoying admirers. According to legend, she was the daughter of the Portuguese king, an inveterate pagan, who wanted to marry her to the king of Sicily. However, she did not want to marry any kings because she was a Christian and had taken a vow of celibacy. In an effort to keep her vow, the princess prayed to heaven and found miraculous deliverance - she grew a thick, long beard; The Sicilian king did not want to marry such a fearful woman, after which the angry father ordered her to be crucified.
From the passion of Christ in all its cruelty are presented in the painting “Ecce Homo” (“Son of Man before the Crowd”). Bosch depicts Christ being led onto a high podium by soldiers whose exotic headdresses recall their paganism; the negative meaning of what is happening is emphasized by traditional symbols of evil: an owl in a niche, a toad on the shield of one of the warriors. The crowd expresses their hatred of the Son of God with threatening gestures and terrible grimaces.
The vivid authenticity of Bosch's works, the ability to depict the movements of the human soul, the amazing ability to draw a rich man and a beggar, a merchant and a cripple - all this gives him a very important place in the development of genre painting.
Bosch's work seems strangely modern: four centuries later, his influence suddenly appeared in the Expressionist movement and, later, in Surrealism.
