Hieronymus Bosch paintings with descriptions. Hieronymus Bosch. Pictures full of unsolved mysteries

The painting "The Ascension of the Righteous" ("Ascent into the Empyrean") by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch was painted in oil on panel, probably in 1500-1504. Genre: religious painting. Probably, “The Ascension of the Righteous” was part of the polyptych “The Blessed and the Damned.” […]

This painting was created by an artist from the Netherlands. It has a fairly straightforward title: “Death of a Miser.” The main feature of the image is the style of placement of the picture in space. The painting is strongly elongated vertically, which creates the impression of an altar drawing. […]

Hieronymus Bosch, the son of hereditary artists who came from Germany. Bosch is a pseudonym that comes from the name of the city of 's-Hertogenbosch (translated as ducal forest). His parents’ workshop was engaged in wall paintings, gilding sculptures, making various […]

Painting "Magician" Flemish artist Hieronymus Bosch, unfortunately, has not survived. Today you can only admire copies of this work. The most accurate of them is considered to be the work that is housed in the museum of the city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Date of writing […]

At the time of the decline of the Renaissance and the heyday of the Inquisition, society was filled with disturbing prejudices and superstitions. The artists who worked in these rebellious times tried as best they could to clarify the view of the world. Hieronymus Bosch writes from 1500 […]

I. Bosch created several triptychs on biblical themes, one of the latest is the Adoration of the Magi. The main part of the work shows the main plot. The Mother of God is located in front of the house and shows the baby. The Magi lay gifts at the woman's feet. […]

Hieronymus Bosch is a medieval artist who is still fashionable today, in particular, because of his apocalyptic ideas. Fragments of his work entitled “Garden earthly pleasures" can now be seen even on leggings and in children's coloring books; a modern one was also named after him musical group. Why?

Somewhat fanatical, if you can call it that, the artist’s paintings late Middle Ages were popular for their nightmarish details: a man playing a flute sticking out of his anus by releasing gases, or a bird-monster devouring sinners and defecating in a pit for sewage, etc.... King Philip II of Spain, patron of the Inquisition, hanged one from Bosch's paintings (The Seven Deadly Sins) in his bedroom. Perhaps she helped him be better equipped to fight the heretics.

The most famous picture Bosch - triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights”. On the left side of the triptych are depicted God, Adam and Eve in paradise, on the central side: the garden of pleasures itself, on the right side: degradation, sinners, hell.

Despite the fact that the plot of this picture at first glance seems far from childish, a coloring book for children aged 6 years and older was created from its fragments. "Coloring Book Hieronymus Bosch" introduces children to the amazing landscapes, fantastic fruits and flowers, and fabulous animals that Bosch painted. According to the author, the coloring book was published to help children develop creatively and inspire them to create their own works of art in the future.

Also published in 1991 fiction book“Pish Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch” (“Pah, pah, said Hieronymus Bosch”). The plot of the book is the story of Bosch's disgruntled housekeeper, who is already fed up with the mess that his wild monsters (winged fish and the like) make around the house.

These two products show that even though Hieronymus Bosch died 500 years ago, the images from his work and his vision seem to be more popular than ever. About all his paintings came out A new book from the world famous publishing house TASCHEN. In 2007 in hometown Bosch opened an art center dedicated to his work in 's-Hertogenbosch. Prints of his paintings adorn Doc Martens shoes, T-shirts and sweatshirts, surfboards and skateboards. Why is this happening?

Bosch was very popular during his lifetime. It has inspired so many imitators that it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint its origins. But so much time has passed since then: the days of the Counter-Reformation, the Baroque style...

"The Catholic Church is reasserting itself, and it wants to emphasize the church, salvation and saints, which was not exactly what Bosch was focusing on," Larry Silver, a professor of art history at Pennsylvania State University, said by phone. “Take Rubens. Then, it simply could not be that both Bosch and Rubens could be in demand at the same time. This is one of the circumstances that put an end to his popularity at that time; it was, as it were, a turn from pessimism to the bright side.”

This state of affairs continued until the beginning of the 20th century. Art historians such as Carl Justi did not show much interest in Bosch's paintings, unlike the founders and theorists of surrealism, such as André Breton, who began new wave interest in the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. Surrealists and lovers of surrealism appreciated his imagination and "unconscious painting." They were delighted with his ideas against organized religion and bourgeois morality.

Bohemian delight of this kind became a constant presence in the stories about Jerome. There is a thesis, first put forward by Wilhelm Franger in 1947, that Bosch was a member of a cult called the Brothers of the Free Spirit. In this interpretation, the central part of the garden does not show a world that is sliding into sinfulness, but the enjoyment of sexual tantric delights free love, harmony with nature. There is also an interesting mention of the Garden of Earthly Delights in the book The Da Vinci Code, in chapter 37.

There is also a version, no less popular than the one about the sex cult, that Bosch had bad trips from eating moldy rye bread. According to author Walter Bosing, for Bosch it “worked like a miracle cure, helping to compensate for the lack of education and scholarship in higher education.” educational institutions and contributing to the creation of paintings that satisfy the sensational appetites of viewers.” The next amusing example is the philosopher and publicist of the 60s Norman Oliver Brown, who combined Freud's theories of anal eroticism with Martin Luther's doctrine of justification by faith, illustrating his work with the Garden of Earthly Delights.

Such interpretations correspond modern stereotypes about the psychedelic paintings of an artist with a disturbed psyche, but for modern experts they represent nothing more than jokes; academics only laugh at them. Bosing calls them “scientific nonsense.” It is more likely to assume that Bosch was simply an artist completely out of his time, and not a crazy drug addict who attended sectarian orgies and painted them after taking LSD.

Either way, Bosch is now a muse for some of the most important creators. Director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak...) cites Bosch as the inspiration for his famous surrealist imagery. The late Alexander McQueen used fabrics printed with Jerome's paintings to create his final collection. Best-selling author Michael Connelly named the main character of his best-selling crime novel after the painter. A copy of Bosch's Inferno hangs above his desk.

Its popularity, at present, comes from the fact that modern people his ideas are close and interesting. Today, films about the apocalypse are included in the lists of the highest-grossing films. Among ordinary people, art lovers and artists are very popular not only with Jerome’s paintings, but also with his style in general, his unique approach to art. The paintings of Hieronymus Bosch equally attract both our compatriots and foreign viewers. Bosch was a very interesting person. His paintings are very multifaceted and ambiguous; they can be understood in different ways. Therefore, it may turn out that his work will not lose relevance soon, and will live on for a very long time after us.

The painting “Ship of Fools” was done in oil on panel, around 1495 – 1500. Its size: 33 cm. 58 cm. The painting is in the Louvre, in Paris.

The painting "Carrying the Cross" (Ghent) was done in oil on panel, around 1490 - 1500. Its size: 83.5 cm. 77 cm. The painting is in the Museum fine arts, in Ghent.

The painting “Carrying the Cross” (Vienna) was done in oil on panel, around 1515 – 1516. Its size: 32 cm. 57 cm. The painting is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

"Carrying the Cross" (Madrid) - side panel from a triptych that has not survived, executed in oil on panel, circa 1505. Its size: 94 cm. 150 cm. The painting is in Royal Palace, in Madrid.

The triptych "The Temptation of St. Anthony" is made in oil on wood, approximately 1505 - 1506. Its size: 225 cm. 131.5 cm. The painting is in the National Museum of Ancient Art, in Lisbon.

The panel “The Temptation of St. Anthony” is made in oil on wood, no earlier than 1490. Its size: 52.5 cm. 73 cm. Located in the Prado National Museum, Madrid.

The Prodigal Son is an oil on panel painting, circa 1510. Its diameter: 70 cm. The painting is in the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam.

Painting "The Seven Deadly Sins and Four last things"made in oil on board, around 1475 - 1480. Its size: 150 cm x 120 cm. The painting is located in the Prado National Museum in Madrid.

The painting "Saint Christopher" was done in oil on panel, around 1504 - 1505. Its size: 71.5 cm x 113 cm. The painting is located in the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, in Rotterdam.

The Last Judgment triptych is made in oil on wood, circa 1504. Its size: 247 cm. 164 cm. The painting is in the Academy fine arts, in Vienna.

The painting "The Crowning of Thorns" (London) is an oil on panel painting, circa 1508 - 1509. Its size: 59 cm x 73 cm. The painting is in the National Gallery, London.

The painting "The Crowning of Thorns" (Escorial) is an oil on panel painting, circa 1510. Its size: 195 cm x 165 cm. The painting is located in the Escorial Monastery, in the city of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, in Spain.

The triptych "Hay Wagon" is made in oil on wood, approximately 1500 - 1502. Its size: 190 cm. 135 cm. The painting exists in two copies. One is in the Prado National Museum, in Madrid. The second is in the monastery of El Escorial, in the city of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, in Spain.

The painting "Extraction of the Stone of Folly" is made in oil on panel, approximately 1475 - 1480. Its size: 35 cm x 48 cm. The painting is located in the Prado National Museum in Madrid.

The Adoration of the Magi triptych is oil on wood, circa 1510. Its size: 138 cm. 138 cm. The painting is in the National Prado Museum, in Madrid.

(Hieronymous Antoniszoon van Aken)
Part 1

Hieronymus Bosch is an outstanding Dutch painter who intricately combined in his paintings the features of medieval fantasy, folklore, philosophical parable and satire. One of the founders of landscape and genre painting in Europe.

The work of this outstanding Dutch painter remains exciting, mysterious and surprisingly modern. Four centuries after his death, surrealists called Bosch “an honorary professor of nightmares,” believing that he “presented a picture of all the fears of his time ... embodied the delusional worldview of the end of the Middle Ages, full of magic and devilry.”

None of Bosch's surviving works are dated by himself. Therefore, presumably, his first known paintings, which were satirical in nature, date back to the mid-1470s. Created in 1475-1480. the paintings “The Seven Deadly Sins”, “Marriage at Cana”, “The Magician” and “Removing the Stones of Stupidity” (“Operation Stupidity”) are of a pronounced moralizing nature with elements of irony and satire.

It is no coincidence that the Spanish King Philip II ordered the hanging of “The Seven Deadly Sins” in the bedroom of his monastery residence in El Escorial, so that in his spare time he could indulge in reflection on the sinfulness of human nature. Here you can still feel the uncertainty of the stroke young artist, he uses only individual elements of symbolic language, which will later fill all his works.
They are also few in number in the films “Operation Stupidity” and “The Magician,” which ridicule human naivety, which is used by charlatans, including those in monastic robes.

Bosch is even sharper. ridiculed the clergy in the film “Ship of Fools” (1490-1500), where a tipsy nun and monk bawled a song in the company of commoners on a fragile boat driven by a jester.
Sharply condemning the depravity of the clergy, Bosch was still hardly a heretic, as the modern German art critic V. Frengler argued. Although he sought his path to understanding God outside the official church.

This section is based on materials:

"100 famous artists 14-18 centuries.", (Kharkov, publishing house "Folio", 2001)
Louvre-"OLMA-PRESS", Moscow-2003
Prado-"OLMA-PRESS", Moscow-2003
Bosch: Between Heaven and Hell (Basic Series: Art) by Walter Bosing. TASCHEN America, 2000.
The Secret Heresy of Hieronymus Bosch by Lynda Harris. Floris Books, 2002.
Hieronymus Bosch: The Complete Paintings and Drawings by Jos Koldeweij, Paul Vandenbroeck. Harry N. Abrams, 2001.
Websites of museums where the paintings are located

Hieronymus Bosch is the most mysterious artist of all times. People are still trying to decipher his paintings. But we will not get closer to their complete solution.

Because Bosch spoke several languages. On the tongue religious symbols. In the language of alchemists. And also Dutch proverbs. And even astrology.

It's hard not to get confused. But thanks to this, interest in Bosch will never dry up. Here are just a few of his masterpieces that captivate with their mystery.

1. Garden of earthly delights. 1505-1510

“The Garden of Earthly Delights” is the most famous work Bosch. You can look at it for hours. But you still don’t understand anything. Why all these naked people? Giant berries. Fancy fountains. Outlandish monsters.

In a nutshell. Paradise is depicted on the left wing. God just created Adam and Eve. But Bosch's paradise is not so heavenly. Here we see Evil too. The cat is carrying a mouse in its teeth. And nearby a bird is pecking a frog.

Why? Animals can do evil. This is their way of survival. But for a person this is a sin.

In the middle part of the triptych, many naked people lead an idle lifestyle. They care only about earthly pleasures. Their symbols are giant berries and birds.

People indulge in the sin of voluptuousness. But conditionally. We understand this through symbols. You won't find explicit erotica. Only one pair doesn't look very decent. Try to find her.

If you don't succeed, find her close-up in the article.

Did you know that a copy of the central part of the famous triptych is stored there? Created 50 years later by a follower of Bosch. The poses and gestures are the same. Only people in the style of mannerism. With beautiful torsos and languid faces.

Bosch's characters are flatter and more bloodless. Like blanks, blanks of people. Why write real people if their lives are empty, aimless.

Top: Follower of Bosch. Garden of earthly delights. Fragment. 1556-1568 , Saint Petersburg. Bottom: Hieronymus Bosch. The central part of the triptych. 1505-1510 Prado Museum, Madrid

On the right wing we see Hell. Here are those who were fond of idle music or gluttony. Gamblers and drunkards. Proud and stingy.

But there are no less mysteries here. Why are we meeting Eve here? She sits under the bird-headed monster's chair. What kind of notes are depicted on the backside of one of the sinners? And why did poor musicians end up in Hell?

2. Ship of Fools. 1495-1500

Painting “Ship of Fools”. Why ship? A common metaphor in Bosch's time. This is what they said about the Church. She must “carry” her parishioners through worldly vanity to spiritual purity.

But something is wrong with Bosch's ship. Its passengers indulge in empty fun. They are bawling and drinking. Both monks and laymen. They don’t even notice that their ship is no longer sailing anywhere. And so long ago that a tree grew through the bottom.

Pay attention to the jester. A fool by profession behaves more seriously than others. He turned away from those having fun and drinks his compote. Without him, there are already enough fools on this ship.

“Ship of Fools” is the upper part of the right wing of the triptych. The lower part is stored in another country. On it we see the shore. The bathers threw off their clothes and surrounded the barrel of wine.

Two of them swam to the ship of fools. Look, one of them has the same bowl as the bather next to the barrel.

3. Temptation of Saint Anthony. 1505-1506

Temptation of Saint Anthony. Another fantastic triptych by Bosch. Among the heap of monsters and behemoths are four stories from the life of a hermit.

First, the saint in heaven is tormented by demons. Satan sent them. It gave him no rest that he was struggling with earthly temptations.

The demons threw the exhausted saint to the ground. We see him being led, exhausted, by the arms.

In the central part, the saint is already kneeling among mysterious characters. It's the alchemists who are trying to make it look like an elixir. eternal life. As we know, nothing worked out for them.

And on the right wing, Satan made another attempt to seduce the saint from his righteous path. Coming to him in the form of a beautiful queen. To seduce him. But even here the saint resisted.

The triptych “The Temptation of St. Anthony” is interesting for its monsters. Such a variety of unknown creatures makes your eyes wide open.

And monsters with the head of a sheep with the body of a plucked goose. And half-people, half-trees with fish tails. Bosch's most famous monster also lives here. An absurd creature with a funnel and a bird's beak.

You can admire these entities in detail in the article.

Bosch loved to portray Saint Anthony. In 2016, another painting of this saint was recognized as the work of Bosch.

Yes, the little monsters look like Bosch's. There's nothing wrong with them. But there is more than enough imagination. And a funnel on legs. And a scoop-shaped nose. And the fish is walking.

4. Prodigal Son. 1500

In the painting “Prodigal Son”, instead of a huge number of characters, there is one main character. Traveler.

He is pretty battered by life. But he has hope. Leaving the world of depravity and sin, he wants to return home to his father. To the world of righteous life and spiritual grace.

He looks back at the house. Which is an allegory of a dissolute lifestyle. Tavern or inn. A temporary shelter full of primitive amusements.

The roof is leaky. The shutter is warped. A visitor relieves himself just around the corner. And two are having fun in the doorway. All this symbolizes spiritual degradation.

But our traveler has already woken up. He realized that he had to leave. A woman looks at him from the window. She doesn't understand his action. Or he's jealous. She does not have the strength or opportunity to leave this “leaky”, pitiful world.

The “Prodigal Son” is similar to another traveler. Which is depicted on the closed doors of the triptych “Voz Seine”.

The meaning here is similar. We are travelers. There is much to be happy about along our journey. But there are also many dangers. Where are we going? And will we get somewhere? Or will we wander like this until death overtakes us on the road?

5. Carrying the cross 1515-1516

An unexpected job for Bosch. Instead of distant horizons and many characters - a very close approach. Foreground only. The faces are so close to us that we can even feel claustrophobic.

There are no more monsters. People themselves are ugly. All their vices are visible on their faces. Gloat. Condemning another. Mental deafness. Aggression.

Note that only three characters have normal traits. The repentant robber is in the upper right corner. Christ himself. And Saint Veronica in the lower left corner.

They closed their eyes. Disconnected from this world, which is filled with a screaming and angry crowd. Only the thief and Christ go to the right, towards death. And Veronica goes to the left, towards life.

The image of Christ appeared on Veronica’s scarf. He looks at us. With sad, calm eyes. What does he want to tell us? Did we see ourselves in this crowd? Are we ready to become human? Freed from aggression and condemnation.

Bosch was an artist. Yes, he was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Therefore, its main character is human. Which he examined from all vantage points. And from afar. Like in “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” And very close. As in “Carrying the Cross.”

His verdict is not encouraging. People are mired in vices. But there is hope. Hope that each of us will find a way to salvation. The main thing is to look at yourself from the outside in time.

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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. Exact date 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 the demonic world begin to be born, filled 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 much more is hidden in the paintings, which the author, by the way, never signed for some reason. deep 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 consider 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 part of the triptych is a picture of heaven, the right 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.

Another triptych, the largest surviving work by the painter. On the left side is an image of heaven, in the center is a painting doomsday, and on the right wing 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.

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.

This is enough strange picture, the meaning of which they are still trying to decipher. The canvas depicts a surgical operation, which for some reason is carried out under 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.

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.

This is one of the most famous works Bosch. The triptych is made on wooden boards, where it is depicted well famous story about the temptation of Saint Anthony during his stay in the desert. The images of the picture are strange and unusual, and main idea- in the eternal struggle between good and evil, when demons try to lead a person astray from the true path.

Despite the name, the biblical parable about prodigal son this work has only an indirect relationship, so the name “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"

This work is one of the most recognizable, unique “ business card” by 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.

This work early period works 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.

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.

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.

“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 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.

Bosch's self-portrait, written in pencil on canvas, has small dimensions - only 40 by 28 cm. The drawing is stored in 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 was held here, dedicated to creativity famous fellow countryman. 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.