Bosch, Hieronymus

(1450-1516)

   Flemish master whose unique style has earned him placement among the most inventive painters in history. Bosch's lack of interest in the rendition of realistic forms and choice of bizarre themes have fascinated art historians who until recently believed that his works were nothing more than fantasies meant to amuse viewers. Now, the view among scholars is that there is deeper meaning to his works. He is now seen as a moralist whose paintings translate the sermons of his day and speak of man's foolishness and its unavoidable cost. His grandfather moved from Aschen to sHertogenbosch, now Holland, in 1399, from which Bosch took his name. He is thought to have been trained by his father, also a painter. Little else is known of his life, except that he was a member of the Confraternity of Notre Dame, that he received commissions from Philip the Handsome of Burgundy, and that he married Aleyt Goyaerts van den Meervenne sometime between 1479 and 1481. The fact that his paintings were often copied suggests that he enjoyed great popularity.

   The Seven Deadly Sins (c. 1475; Prado, Madrid), a painted tabletop once owned by Philip II of Spain along with its companion piece, the Seven Sacraments (now lost), is believed to be Bosch's earliest work. The Death of the Miser (c. 1485-1490; Washington, National Gallery) shows the foolishness of a dying man who takes the money bag from a demon, though the angel next to him points to the crucifix at the window as the road to salvation. The Hay Wain Triptych (c. 1490-1495; El Escorial, Monasterio de San Lorenzo) shows in the central panel a large hay wagon, symbol of earthly goods, followed by the pope, the emperor, noblemen, clergymen, nuns, the rich, and the poor. Among the crowd are the Seven Deadly Sins and on the wagon sit a pair of lovers accompanied by an angel who looks up at Christ in the clouds and by a demon who dances and plays his elongated nose like a trumpet. On the left panel are the Creation of Eve and Expulsion from Paradise, with rebel angels above being cast out of heaven. On the right is a depiction of hell where sinners are tortured by demons. Bosch's best-known work is the Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1505-1510; Madrid, Prado), a painting that also presents the Creation on the left panel and hell on the right. In the center, humanity engages in all sorts of strange, sinful activities. Though the work is not fully understood and has given scholars much to write about, it is undoubtedly also a moralizing scene that casts humanity in a satirical light.