Bosch

Hieronymous van Aken (1450-1516)

This Dutch painter and sketcher was better known by his pseudonym, Bosch.
We know very little about his life except that in 1486 he entered into the brotherhood of the Mother of God. While in his brotherhood he painted and was concerned with the representation of the mysteries.

A large part of Bosch's work has disappeared as a result of endless iconoclastic clashes. It is known that in 1504 the Archduke Felipe el Hermoso commissioned Bosch to paint a version of the Final Judgment. In reality, Bosch was one of Felipe II's favourite painters, purchasing painting from the artist for El Escorial palace. A total of thirty canvases can be attributed with complete certainty to Bosch, but only seven of these are signed by the artist.

Still conserving elements of the Gothic style, his work is exuberant and imaginative and accurately reflects the times in which it was conveived. It was a time of wars, plagues, discoveries and religious and spiritual fervour. Bosch broke with the routine of local 15th century tradition in order to create a personal style of painting which is highly expressive. His work expresses the conflict of ideas and feelings between the two eras in which he lived. This would explain why his work is at the same time enigmatic and open to various interpretations. There are those who find in his work a clear ethical purpose, whereas others judge his work as an attack on heresies and yet others, consider it to be heretical.

The visionary world which characterizes his work as a precursor to surrealism, can be considered the fruit of an oneiric experience.

A large part of the clearly symbolic features of his work is made up of illustrated representations of traditional Dutch proverbs. Bosch was the founder of the movement that led Flemish painting from mysticism to realism.

He is the creator of The Ship Of Madmen, The Hay Cart, The Epiphany, The Temptation of Saint Anthony and this triptych, The Garden of Delights.

The collection of Flemish art at the Prado Museum includes painters from the 15th to the 18th century when this schoold of thought split in two, in the same way as the territories that made up the old Spanish Netherlands was divided up.

The quality of the Flemish art collection is readily appreciated given that we can follow the artistic development of this school. The collection consists of canvases which the Spanish monarchs and nobility purchased at the time of their painting.
interest in Flemish art stetches back to the Middle Ages and to the economic relationship which existed between Burgundy and Castile. Not only did the Spanish monarchs purchase Flemish works of art, but they also hired the services of Dutch painters.

The first of the three key periods of this development corresponds to the 15th century and tho so-called "primitive" painters, immersed in the medieval world but innovators of new techniques and styles. One of the most important painters of this time and movement was beyond all doubt Bosch, whose most important work is The Garden of Delights.

This painting was obtained by Felipe II and was mentioned in the inventory of the painting sent by the king to El Escorial. It was described for the first time by Father Siguenza as the "strawberry painting" and the Spanish writers of the time called it the "debauchery". As previously commented, bosch's work has been subject to various interpretations, the most common of which is a moralistic-didactic interpretation; the introduction with the third day of Genesis (which is not represented in this puzzle); on the left panel, the creation of Eve, the root of all evil in the world; in the centre, the representation of the carnal sins; on the right, the punishment of hell. In the mid 20th century, the symbolism was explained in terms of alchemy, the false doctrine that separated mankind from salvation and carnal sin. Some critics have attempted to give this a psychoanalytical nterpretation in order to expand upon the erotic symbolism, referring to folklore, common speech and the everyday metaphors of Dutch poetry from the early 16th century. There are even those who believe that the entire piece was ordered by the master of the Free Spirit sect who believed that hell was for the heretics, those sinners who went against the sect's doctrines. This hell, however, was the beginning of redemption.
bosch tends towards an archaic style, with symmetrical compositions although at times these appear rigid. On the other hand, a certain tendency towards the abstract can be appreciated in his work as is reflected in the long brush strokes which, at times, seem to contract the forms.

Earthly Paradise: is on the inside of the left panel which represents the creation of Eve. The image of the Creator is related to the ancient tradition, somewhat forgotten in the 15th century but which Bosch took up again. According to this tradition, God created the world through his Word. In this Earthly Paradise there are signs of an anti-natural vitality to the rocks, plants and animals which begin to devour each other. The palm with the entwined serpent is the tree of good and evil, whose tempting fruit woman offers to man. There are also some alchemic symbols such as the three-headed dragon emerging from the pond or the rock-like egg. The exact centre of the composition is made up of the fountain of life which evokes the bottom of the sea. There is also a half moon which symbolizes the diabolical. This absurd world is rendered with incomparable delicacy and balance between bosch's thinking and his stypical painting wich is centred on a continuous exchange between an acceptance of and a condemnation of both universal beauty and horror.

The Garden of Delights: this is the central part of the piece which depicts pairs or groups of nudes in strange vegetable or mineral receptacles, surrendering themselves to carnal pleasures. This ambiguous mixture of nudes was inspired by the licentious baths of the period and their ill-repute. In the centre of the composition is the procession around the fountain of youth. Here women are bathing themselves holding crows (representing disbelief), peacocks (vanity) and ibis (devourers of dead fish) on their heads. The processional animals are symbols of lust and other sins. The entire piece is impregnated with a sense of perpetual change: the lovers' heads are changed to fruits, strange plants flourish on the nudes' buttocks… All these erotic symbols have oneiricm, alchemic, mystical and, more commonly, popular origins. Some colours, such as orange, red, or the blues which represent fraud and evil, are alchemic in origin. This incredible amount of symbols does not limit the artis's expressive possibilities. He gets from them a never-ending vitality, free from mere inspiration.

Musical Hell: is on the inside panel on the right. It represents the punishment of carnal sins and other failings. For some critics, this hell is the artis's terrifying dream, the painter being identified with thw small man leaning against the egg. Others believe that it is a testimony of universal restoration intended to redeem sinners through instruments and the Trinity's musical revelation. The monster's head is possible a self-portrait which introduces the common element of the pensive "witness". The harp, the lute and the organ from this musical hell are sexual symbols for punishment. Here they are converted into instruments of torture surrounded by the condemned and devils who are singing from a musical score.

Perhaps the piece could be considered one of the most enigmatic works by an artist worried more by content than form. His peculiar perspective on reality showed a sinning humanity dragging behind its vices, while still remaining a prisoner to earthly pleasures.

It was given to the San Lorenzo el Real Monastery in 1539 and was moved to El Prado in 1935 for its restoration where it has remained by overnment decision since 1939.