The works of Hieronymus Bosch seem to have captivated the public ever since he began his work in the late 15th century. He was the first artist to leave a significant collection of original drawings, which indicates that even his concept sketches were sought after and protected even in his own time. Across the centuries, the central focus of every study, whether or not they admit it or are even aware of it, is the attempt to find a hidden key that can unlock the secrets of his work. But Bosch is as poetic as he is secretive, so the content and the hidden meanings cannot be so easily and neatly sorted out. Out of all of Bosch’s known works, the most mysterious and fascinating is the triptych now known as The Garden of Earthly Delights. The painting is interesting not only because its subject is so bizarre, but also because it is so familiar: Biblical themes expressed in a completely original way without much of the familiar iconography of his time. (Belting: p.7)
Although the triptych is the standard format used for Christian altarpieces, most art historians agree that The Garden of Earthly Delights – whose original title is lost to time – was almost definitely never used in that way. (Belting: p.8) Like the Haywain Triptych, the central panel of this painting is a depiction of the glories of sin rather than of faith, so it is unlikely that it would have been commissioned for a church, but for a wealthy lay patron. (Bosing: p.60) The most likely patrons are Engelbrecht II of Nassau or his nephew, Henry III. Other nobles from the Burgundian Netherlands owned works by Bosch, and Flemish intellectuals enjoyed artistic puzzles with a moral theme. Engelbrecht II was a well-known patron of illuminated manuscripts so he may have commissi...
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...d refugees. As the people abandon their burning homes and flee through the city gate, the soldiers, with banners held high, march onward toward the next town. It is here that Bosch abandons the use of any iconography, and the surreal visions of the lower two thirds, to inject the bizarre world with a sudden realism. This scene is made all the more realistic because Bosch is able to inject his own personal experience into the subject: In 1463, a massive fire destroyed 4,000 homes in Bosch’s home town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and the visions of the terror and the tragedy clearly stayed with the artist throughout his life. (Belting: 44)
Amid the fires and the terrible music, the torture and the torment, mankind finally receives the punishment for their sins. The punishment is made even more terrible because it is a Hell they created for themselves, right here on Earth.
Upon entering hell with Virgil, Dante becomes witness to the true perfection of the justice done to sinners after their earthly life is over. This divine justice inflicted by God chooses to punish the souls in hell in a way very similar or representative to how the souls sinned on Earth. For instance, those guilty of the sin of wrath "tear each other limb from limb" (133), a punishment which directly relates to the actions of the sinners. However, there are also punishments that are more symbolic of the actions of the sinners, such as th...
By most accounts, the year 1500 was in the midst of the height of the Italian Renaissance. In that year, Flemmish artist Jean Hey, known as the “Master of Moulins,” painted “The Annunciation” to adorn a section of an alter piece for his royal French patrons. The painting tells the story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary to deliver the news that she will give birth to the son of God. As the story goes, Mary, an unwed woman, was initially terrified about the prospects of pregnancy, but eventually accepts her fate as God’s servant. “The Annunciation” is an oil painting on a modest canvas, three feet tall and half as wide. The setting of the painting is a study, Mary sitting at a desk in the bottom right hand corner reading, and the angel Gabriel behind her holding a golden scepter, perhaps floating and slightly off the canvas’s center to the left. Both figures are making distinct hand gestures, and a single white dove, in a glowing sphere of gold, floats directly above Mary’s head. The rest of the study is artistic but uncluttered: a tiled floor, a bed with red sheets, and Italian-style architecture. “The Annunciation” was painted at a momentous time, at what is now considered the end of the Early Renaissance (the majority of the 15th Century) and the beginning of the High Renaissance (roughly, 1495 – 1520). Because of its appropriate placement in the Renaissance’s timeline and its distinctly High Renaissance characteristics, Jean Hey’s “Annunciation” represents the culmination of the transition from the trial-and-error process of the Early Renaissance, to the technical perfection that embodied the High Renaissance. Specifically, “Annunciation” demonstrates technical advancements in the portrayal of the huma...
... rife with suffering away from the benevolent god. La Loca mentions that Sofi’s husband, who has returned towards the end of the first chapter, has been to hell and is no longer afraid. Essentially, in this alternate religion that she has created, through her unnaturalness, Hell is a place of healing, where the individual understands the truths about themselves.
Mathias Grunewald (c. 1470-1528) was a German painter who created the Isenheim Altarpiece between 1512 and 1516. This work consists of different wings that fold out to reveal more of the work (Collings, 2007) (including the crucifixion of Christ), is on the display at the Unterlinden Museum at Colmar, Alsace, France, and was commissioned for the Monastery of Saint Anthony in Isenheim, near Colmar. On one of these wings is the figure of Saint Anthony of Egypt, whose temptation has been the inspiration for many works of art as well as literature. Unlike other artists of the Renaissance period, Grunewald’s paintings depict religious figures as artists of the middle ages had done, creating imagery for the Church in Rome. And while the Isenheim Altarpiece, and indeed the Temptation of Saint Anthony, was commissioned b...
The content of this painting represents a Christian worldview because of all the symbolism inside the piece. The most predominant image in this painting is the light house, which is also the focal point of the piece. The viewers eyes are first drawn t the clouds in the top right corner of the painter before following the ocean waves to the shore that lead to the light house. A light house has always been a symbol of guidance as it is a beacon that guides sailors safely back to shore. Kinkade uses the light house in this painting to symbolize the love of God. The light house is shining brightly in his picture even though it’s not dark yet. In the same way God will always be a light to those to wish to follow Him. God will always lead us back to him and be a guide for our live. He will make sure that we always survive temptations. As the light house guides the ships out of the storm, God will always guide his people to the promise land.
In the early 16th century the Netherlands experienced what was called “tulip mania” this was the beginning of the nations love for flora and foliage (Taylor 13). The result of this impressive flower invasion was a society that took a historical turn from which the results still remain today. Flower merchants, botanists and floral still life artists, were occupations that were an accurate reflection of the Netherlands demands (Brown). An interesting example of a life that was effected by, and devoted to the archiving of the flower craze was Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) the 17th century Dutch flower painter. Rachel Ruyschs’ career straddled the 17th and 18th century, and her stunningly accurate floral pieces reflect the maturing, yet evolving art of floral still life painting (“Rachel Ruysch: Bibliography”). Ruyschs’ Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Tabletop (1716) is an excellent example of a painting that appropriately represents the genre of art that was created solely through specific societal events.
Author Jonathan Swift states, “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others”. Known as the greatest painter of his time, Masaccio, the brilliant artist, produces artwork with purity and language. Through Masaccio’s detailed artwork, The Expulsion of Eden, constructs a painting bursting with emotion that touches the viewer. The story of Adam and Eve depicts two people of opposite gender, and their journey through discovering the root of guilt, and the consequences of knowledge. After Eve (and eventually Adam) eats the attractive forbidden fruit from the tree of life - being tempted by the serpent, Adam and Eve are forever punished from the Garden of Eden, liberating both from innocence. Due to Masaccio's genius paintwork, he portrays the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden with precise detail and emotion that matches and, in some parts, enhances the actual Biblical story.
is exemplified in No Exit. It is a portrayal that life in Hell is just
Pieter, Bruegel. The Numbering at Bethlehem. Musee des Beaux Arts. Pieter Bruegel Oil Paintings. 12 Dec. 2005 .
Dante Alighieri's The Inferno is a poem written in first person that tells a story of Dante’s journey through the nine circles of Hell after he strays from the rightful path. Each circle of Hell contains sinners who have committed different sins during their lifetime and are punished based on the severity of their sins. When taking into the beliefs and moral teachings of the Catholic Church into consideration, these punishments seem especially unfair and extreme.
He gives reason to fear and respect the law of God, lest eternal punishment be your only promise in the afterlife. These punishments are as relevant as can be, so he offers a very vivid picture of hell. The men that he puts in hell give it a realistic twist, enhancing the fear that is felt upon reading this work.
In Hieronymous Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, there is a prevalent theme of madness. He uses his artistic imagination to show Earth filled with both natural and unnatural things-perhaps displaying the “depravity of humankind”. This is especially apparent in the closed triptych when we see an image of God viewing the Earth and all its inhabitants from above as they are surrounded by waters. Possibly the waters represent the flood of Noah. Additionally, when the triptych is open, the three panels seem to tell a story of human folly. The first panel has three figures- God, Adam, and Eve sitting among beautiful creatures. In the second panel, the world becomes more fantastical. Bosch depicts tiny naked humans interacting with giant creatures
It is with the second circle that the real tortures of Hell begin. There lie the most heavy-hearted criminals in all of Hell, those who died for true love. Here, those who could not control their sexual passion, are buffeted and whirled endlessly through the murky air by a great windstorm. This symbolizes their confusing of their reason by passion and lust. According to Dante, ?SEMIRAMIS is there, and DIDO, CLEOPATRA, HELLEN, ACHILLES, PARIS, and TRISTAN? (Alighieri 57).
Dante’s Inferno presents the reader with many questions and thought provoking dialogue to interpret. These crossroads provide points of contemplation and thought. Dante’s graphic depiction of hell and its eternal punishment is filled with imagery and allegorical meanings. Examining one of these cruxes of why there is a rift in the pits of hell, can lead the reader to interpret why Dante used the language he did to relate the Idea of a Just and perfect punishment by God.
Inferno, the first part of Divina Commedia, or the Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri, is the story of a man's journey through Hell and the observance of punishments incurred as a result of the committance of sin. In all cases the severity of the punishment, and the punishment itself, has a direct correlation to the sin committed. The punishments are fitting in that they are symbolic of the actual sin; in other words, "They got what they wanted." (Literature of the Western World, p.1409) According to Dante, Hell has two divisions: Upper Hell, devoted to those who perpetrated sins of incontinence, and Lower Hell, devoted to those who perpetrated sins of malice. The divisions of Hell are likewise split into levels corresponding to sin. Each of the levels and the divisions within levels 7,8, and 9 have an analogous historical or mythological figure used to illustrate and exemplify the sin.