(Jeronymus Antoniszon van Aken)
Part 1

Hieronymus Bosch- an outstanding Dutch painter who whimsically 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, the Surrealists dubbed Bosch "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, the first known paintings of him, which were of a satirical 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”) have a pronounced moralizing character with elements of irony and satire.

It is no coincidence that the Spanish King Philip II ordered the Seven Deadly Sins to be hung in the bedroom of his residence-monastery in Escorial in order to indulge in reflections on the sinfulness of human nature at his leisure. Here you can still feel the uncertainty of the stroke of the young artist, he uses only individual elements of the symbolic language, which later fill all his works.
They are also not numerous in the films “Operation of Stupidity” and “The Magician”, which ridicule the human naivety used by charlatans, including those in monastic attire.

Even sharper Bosch. ridiculed the clergy in the painting "Ship of Fools" (1490-1500), where a tipsy nun and a monk bawl a song in the company of commoners on a fragile boat driven by a jester.
Sharply condemning the depravity of the clergy, Bosch is still unlikely to be a heretic, as the modern German art historian W. Frangler argued. Although he was looking for his way to comprehend God outside the official church.

The section is based on:

"100 famous artists 14-18th centuries", (Kharkiv, 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.
Sites of museums where the paintings are located

For five centuries, this name either ascended to heaven, or dissolved into oblivion. Bosch, whose paintings are now declared to be either extracted from the depths of the subconscious, or simple horror stories, or caricatures, remains a mystery, a mystery that attracts ...

Hereditary artist

There is little exact information about the life of the master. His real name is Jeroen Antonison van Aken.

From its name hometown on the border of Holland and Flanders (Belgium) - 's-Hertogenbosch - there was his nickname - Bosch. The artist's paintings are presented in the form of copies in the museum of the town, where he spent his whole life: from birth (about 1450) to burial (1516).

He chose, apparently, according to the artists were his grandfather, father and uncles. A successful marriage saved him from material problems, all his life he was a member of the Brotherhood of Our Lady, performing painting commissions for him.

Contemporary of Leonardo

He lived in the Renaissance, but how unique and original was Bosch! The master's paintings have nothing to do with what happened in the south of Europe, not in form, not in content. Most of the master's surviving pictorial masterpieces are folding triptychs or parts of them. The outer sashes were usually painted in grisaille (monochrome), and opening them, one could see an impressive full-color image.

This is exactly what the main masterpieces look like, the author of which is recognized by Hieronymus Bosch: the paintings “Hay Carriage” (1500-1502), “Garden of Earthly Delights” (1500-1510), “ Last Judgment"(1504)," The Temptation of St. Anthony "(1505), etc. That is, these are as many as four canvases, or rather, boards, combined common theme. The surviving parts of the folds have a high independent artistic value.

"Ship of Fools"

This is the surviving part of the triptych - the central one, the other two were supposedly called "Gluttony" and "Voluptuousness". It is these defects that are discussed in the surviving image. But like any genius, there is no simple, unambiguous edification here. “Ship of Fools” is a painting by Bosch, in which there is no endless series of symbols and complex ciphers, but it cannot be called a simple illustration for a sermon either.

A strange boat through which a tree sprouted. It sits in it funny company, including a monk and a nun, all selflessly sing. Their faces - without signs of special mental activity, they are similar and terrible with a special emptiness. It is no coincidence that there is another character here - a jester who has turned away from them alone. Is it one of Shakespeare's tragedies?

fantasy genius

The Garden of Earthly Delights is the rise of Bosch's fantasy and the greatest mystery of world art. On the outer doors in shades of gray - the world on the third day of creation: light, earth and water, and a man is presented on the spread. Bosch is a very complex matter, and this work is like a giant symphony, overflowing with details and images.

The left part is devoted to the origin of life: the Lord introduces the first woman to Adam, inhabited. But evil has already settled among them - a cat strangles a mouse, a doe is killed by a predator. Is this how the Lord intended?

In the center is a multi-figure composition, which is called a false paradise. Above the cycle of life in the form of a closed cavalcade of riders is a fantastically beautiful lake with four channels, with a sky in which birds and people fly. Below - an amazing mass of people, incomprehensible mechanisms, unprecedented creatures. All of them are busy with some kind of terrible fuss, in which some see immeasurable lust, others - pretentious hieroglyphs denoting the most terrible sins.

To the right is a hell inhabited by the most monstrous images - horrors and hallucinations come to life. This composition is also called "Musical Hell": there are many images associated with sounds and musical instruments. There is a theory that this is dictated by the Brotherhood of Our Lady, of which Hieronymus Bosch was a member. Pictures of hell filled with cacophony are the result of the inclusion of musical accompaniment in the church service, against which the Brotherhood protested.

Bosch Mystery

People have always wanted to solve the riddle named Bosch. Pictures painted by a fantastically gifted painter excite even psychologists. Some modern psychoanalysts prove that the images in the artist's paintings can only be born by a mentally ill consciousness. Others believe that in order to depict the variety of human sins in this way, one must have a vicious nature.

Some historians consider Bosch's compositions to be a record of alchemical recipes, where components and manipulations for obtaining precious elixirs and potions are encrypted in the form of fantastic creatures. Others record the artist as a member of the secret sect of Adamites - supporters of the return to innocent nature - Adam and Eve, who called for greater sexual freedom.

We have to admit that the mystery of the artist's images and symbols is forever buried in the river of time, and everyone will have to guess it on their own. This opportunity to find your own answers to the riddles of the master is the best gift of Hieronymus Bosch to posterity.

So, the number of originals, the cost of grooming a beard, the scope of the anniversary celebrations and other not the last 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, it takes at least 7 spans in the forehead. To some extent, this is true. However, Arthive has at its disposal some other numbers 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 Bosch painting did not remain in 's-Hertogenbosch - the city in which the artist was born and died and which, most likely, never left.

Every 19th of the inhabitants's-Hertogenbosch at the time of Bosch 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 very one that has existed since 1318 to this day, and at whose meetings it is customary to feast on a roasted swan.

At least 14 documents, giving an idea of ​​the financial situation of Hieronymus van Aken, who adopted the pseudonym "Bosch", is at the disposal of his biographers. Married to his much older and far from poor Aleith Goyarts van der Meerveen, the artist was never short of money, but to early XVI century was considered one of the richest residents of the city.

None of Bosch's work not dated by the author.

None of Bosch's painting titles does not belong to him. All titles - and even the names of the characters in the paintings - are later descriptions and interpretations.

5 by 13 centimeters- the smallest of the paintings known to date, attributed to Bosch. This is the “Portrait of an Old Woman” from the Boismans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam. However, researchers are inclined to think that this is rather not an independent portrait, but only a fragment of some of the lost works. The female profile resembles a singing nun from another famous Louvre painting by Bosch, so it is suggested 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 main character Bosch altar triptych. We are talking about the "Crucified Martyr" from the Doge's Palace in Venice, also known by at least 3 names: "The Crucifixion of St. Julia", "The Crucifixion of St. Liberata" and "The Crucifixion of St. Wilgefortis" (from the Latin Virgo Fortis - persistent 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, a Christian saint begged for a beard so as not to be forcibly married to a pagan king. It took specialists almost 8 months to complete the restoration of the beard.

9 years lasted a large-scale "Project for the study and restoration of the works of Bosch" (The Bosch Research and Conversation Project, BRCP) under the leadership of Jos Koldewey and Matheus Ilsink - the beard of St. Vilgefortis was reanimated within its framework. One of the results of the work 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, "7 deadly sins and 4 last things" and "Removing the stone of stupidity" from the Prado, as well as "Carrying the Cross" from Ghent, Dutch researchers consider the works of the followers of Bosch.

Total 24 paintings and 20 drawings belong to Bosch's hand, according to BRCP's findings.

608 pages composes a reasonable catalog of Bosch's works, published by Mercatorfonds as a result of a Dutch research project. You can buy the catalog for 125 euros.

17 paintings and 19 drawings Bosch, through unprecedented negotiating efforts, managed to get from different museums of the world Charles de Moeuil, director of the Museum of North Brabant 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 homeland of the artist. The entrance ticket cost 22 euros.

"Three Philosophers" called the famous painting by Giorgione, which, according to art historian Linda Harris, author of the book "The Secret Heresy of Hieronymus Bosch", depicts Leonardo, Giorgione himself and Bosch secretly visiting Venice (in the center).

Giorgione. Three Philosophers
1504, 125.5×146.2 cm

80 years old held in the vaults of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City the board "The Temptation of St. Anthony" with the attribution "follower / imitator of Hieronymus Bosch", until in 2016 the status of the painting was sensationally upgraded: now the work is considered written by Bosch himself.

Hieronymus Bosch. Temptation of Saint Anthony
1500s, 38.1×25.4 cm

220 by 390 centimeters— dimensions of the Garden of Earthly Delights. This is the most large-scale work of Bosch among those that have come down to our time, not only in terms of the depth of artistic intent and skill of execution, but also simply in terms of dimensions. Bosch's second largest triptych is The Last Judgment (163.7 by 247 cm, Vienna), the third is The Temptation of Saint Anthony (131.5 by 225 cm, Lisbon).

Hieronymus Bosch. The Garden of Earthly Delights
Hieronymus Bosch. Last Judgment
Hieronymus Bosch. Temptation of Saint Anthony. Triptych

3 Bosch paintings with the same name "Carrying the Cross" are stored in museums of 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 "The Adoration of the Magi" are attributed to Bosch: a triptych kept in the Prado (Madrid), and two paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Art Museum Philadelphia.

Hieronymus Bosch. Adoration of the Magi. Triptych

Hieronymus Bosch. Adoration of the Magi

2 wanderers, very similar to each other, wrote in different time Bosch. One is on the outer wings of the Hay Carriage triptych, the second is on the board, which is now on display in Rotterdam (perhaps these were also the wings of the lost triptych). Some scientists are inclined to believe that Bosch generously endowed both wanderers with his own facial features. “That nose can’t be attributed to anyone else!” says researcher Nicholas Bohm, author of the BBC science fiction film The Hieronymus Bosch Mystery.

Hieronymus Bosch. Carriage of hay. The outer doors of the triptych.

Hieronymus Bosch. Wanderer

4 types of temperament discovered by researchers in Bosch's painting Crowning with Thorns. A sanguine person pulls his hands from the lower right corner, a choleric person puts his fingers into the wounds, a phlegmatic person puts a wreath of thorns on Christ, and a melancholic person sympathetically puts his hand on His shoulder in the upper right corner. Many believe that the latter is a self-portrait of the artist.

Hieronymus Bosch. Crowning with thorns
1510, 73.8×59 cm

Over 40 Bosch characters are available on the iOS and Android app called Bosch Camera, released by the organizers of the Bosch Year celebrations in 's-Hertogenbosch. With it, the user can transfer Bosch characters to their photos and collages.

3 dollars 99 cents you need to pay extra to get the opportunity to fly on a flying fish among the heroes of the central and right wings of the Bosch triptych in the simulation app for iOS and Android "Bosch: 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 death artist, in 1504, the pseudonym “Bosch” appears for the first time in documents.

Hieronymus Bosch is one of the most mysterious artists, about which very little is known, but whose work continues to excite the imagination.

Biography of Hieronymus Bosch

Surprisingly, 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 Hertogenbosch. The exact date of birth is unknown (according to assumptions - around 1450). His life path was not distinguished by any special zigzags, 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 of why there is so much drama in the painting of Hieronymus Bosch? Neither before nor after him has anyone so truthfully laid bare the world of human vices and passions. Bosch turned art into a mirror of the modern world.

The artist began his career by 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 later found reflection in the paintings? In what hidden corners of consciousness did a demonic world filled with strange creatures begin to be born? Probably no one can answer this question. Because of his visions, colleagues called the artist "the honorary professor of nightmares." He really depicted with special detail other world, his work is overflowing 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 in the canvases, which, by the way, the author never signed for some reason, much more deep meaning. He turned the ordinary world upside down and turned it inside out. And what is most paradoxical, Bosch's paintings are still relevant, modern and timely, although more than five centuries have passed since the death of their creator.

Works by Hieronymus Bosch

Most of the works created by this great Dutch master have unfortunately been lost. Only some of the paintings by Hieronymus Bosch have come down to us with names that speak for themselves. Consider the most famous canvases, which contain the quintessence of the artist's attitude.

Hieronymus Bosch "Garden of Earthly Delights"

This unique triptych was probably created between 1500 and 1515 for years. The author showed the life of mankind, who made a choice in favor of sin. The left side of the triptych is a picture of paradise, the right side shows hell. The central part is devoted to earthly life, in which a person loses paradise. There are suggestions that the artist depicted himself in a part of hell.

Hieronymus Bosch "The Last Judgment"

Another triptych, the largest of the surviving works of the painter. On the left side is an image of paradise, in the center is a picture of the Last Judgment, and on the right wing is the terrible fate of sinners in hell. This work is considered one of the most frightening paintings. hellish torments. Bosch's contemporaries were convinced that the author saw the monsters of the underworld with his own eyes.

Hieronymus Bosch "Ship of Fools"

The canvas "Ship of Fools" is considered the upper part of one of the wings of the triptych, which did not survive. The painting “Allegory of Gluttony and Lust” is identified with the lower part. In this work, as in many others, the author exposes and ridicules human vices. Among the passengers of the ship are representatives of various social strata, symbolizing vanity, drunkenness, debauchery, etc.

Hieronymus Bosch "Retrieving the Stone of Stupidity"

This is a rather 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 sky. On the head of the doctor is an inverted funnel, and on the head of a nun 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 "Hay Cart"

In the triptych "Hay Cart" Bosch's favorite theme is repeated again - the theme of sin and human vices. A huge wagon with hay is pulled by seven monsters, symbolizing various vices - cruelty, greed, pride, etc. And around - a lot of people trying to grab hay for themselves. Above all this, on a golden cloud, the Almighty is watching.

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 a well famous story about the temptation of St. Anthony during his stay in the wilderness. The images of the picture are strange and unusual, and main idea- in eternal struggle good and evil when demons try to bring down a person and true path.

Despite the name, this work has only an indirect relation to the biblical parable of the prodigal son, therefore 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.

"Nesenie cross"

Hieronymus Bosch Carrying the Cross

This work is one of the most recognizable, original " business card"of the artist, in which he managed to show the true essence of human nature, what people really are. However, there are disputes about this painting, as a number of researchers believe that Bosch is not the author of this canvas.

Hieronymus Bosch "The Magician"

This work early period work of Hieronymus Bosch. Like the rest of the works of the great master, this picture is full of symbolism and mysteries, and a very deep meaning lies behind the uncomplicated plot of a charlatan-thimblemaker.

Hieronymus Bosch "The Seven Deadly Sins"

Another painting by Bosch, the authorship of which is being questioned due to the imperfection of execution. Of the 11 fragments (the image of 7 sins and 4 last things), according to the researchers, only two were made by the artist personally. But the fact that the idea of ​​the painting belongs to Bosch is beyond doubt.

Hieronymus Bosch "Adoration of the Magi"

One of the few light works of Bosch, which, moreover, is perfectly preserved. The Adoration of the Magi triptych 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 wings.

Hieronymus Bosch "The Blessed and the Damned"

"The Blessed and the Damned" is a polyptych consisting of four paintings: "Earthly Paradise" and "Ascent to 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 sagnin, is small - 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 is based. In 2016, an exhibition dedicated to the work of the famous countryman was held here. The history of this exhibition is as incredible as the life of the artist. It was she who formed the basis of the film "Hieronymus Bosch: Inspired by the Devil."

His work continues to be explored, but it seems to me that the mysteries of Hieronymus Bosch are unlikely to be solved, at least in the near future.

Category

Bosch, Bos (Bosch) Hieronymus [actually Hieronymus van Aeken, Hieronymus van Aeken] (circa 1450/60–1516), a great Dutch painter. He worked mainly in 's-Hertogenbosch in North Flanders. One of the brightest masters of the early Northern Renaissance

Hieronymus Bosch in his multi-figured compositions, paintings on themes folk sayings, proverbs and parables combined sophisticated medieval fantasy, grotesque demonic images generated by boundless imagination with realistic innovations unusual for the art of his era.
Bosch's style is unique and unparalleled in the Dutch painting tradition.
The work of Hieronymus Bosch is both innovative and traditional, naive and sophisticated; it captivates people with a sense of some secret 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 native city.

It is believed that this early work Bosch: between 1475 and 1480. The painting "The Seven Deadly Sins" was in Brussels in the collection of De Guevara around 1520 and was acquired by Philip II of Spain in 1670. The painting "The Seven Deadly Sins" hung in the private chambers of King Philip II of Spain, apparently helping him to violently pursue heretics.

A composition of symmetrically arranged circles and two unfolding scrolls, where quotations from Deuteronomy with deep pessimism prophesy about the fate of mankind. In circles - Bosch's first image of Hell and existing in singular interpretation of Heavenly Paradise. The seven deadly sins are depicted in the segments of God's all-seeing eye in the center of the composition, they are given in an emphatically didactic manner.

This work is one of the clearest and most moralizing works of Bosch and is provided with detailed, clarifying quotations from Deuteronomy depicted. Inscribed on the scrolls are the words: "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 I will see what the end of them», - determine 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 are shamelessly having fun with the peasants in a boat with a jester as a 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 Glutland", personify human vices. The grotesque ugliness of the heroes is embodied by the author in shining colors. Bosch is both real and symbolic. By itself, the world created by the artist is beautiful, but stupidity and evil reign in it.

Most of the plots of Bosch's paintings are associated with episodes from the life of Christ or saints who resist vice, or are gleaned from allegories and proverbs about human greed and stupidity.

Saint Anthony 1500s. Prado Museum, Madrid.

"The Life of St. Anthony", written by Athanasius the Great, tells that in 271 AD. still young, Anthony retired to the desert to live as an ascetic. He lived for 105 years (c. 251 - 356).

Bosch depicted the "earthly" temptation of St. Anthony, when the devil, distracting him from meditation, tempted him with earthly blessings.
His round back, his posture, closed by the fingers intertwined “in a lock”, speak of an extreme degree of immersion in meditation.
Even the devil, in the form of a pig, calmly froze next to Antony, 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 has an image internal conflict of a person thinking about 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 flurry of vicious visions, but can an ordinary mortal resist all this?

In the picture " Prodigal son» Hieronymus Bosch interpreted his ideas about life
The hero of the picture - skinny, in a torn dress and different shoes, withered and as if flattened on a plane - is presented in a strange stopped and yet continuing movement.
It is almost written off from nature - in any case, European art before Bosch did not know such an image of poverty - but in the dry emaciation of its forms there is something of an insect.
This is the life that a person leads, with which, even leaving it, he is connected. Only nature remains pure, infinite. The dull color of the painting expresses Bosch's idea - gray, almost grisaille tones unite both people and nature. This unity is natural and natural
.
Bosch in the picture depicts Jesus Christ among the raging crowd, densely filling the space around him with vicious, triumphant physiognomies.
For Bosch, the image of Christ is the personification of boundless mercy, spiritual purity, patience and simplicity. He is opposed powerful forces evil. They subject him to terrible torments, physical and spiritual. Christ shows man an example of overcoming all difficulties.
In terms of its artistic qualities, Carrying the Cross contradicts all pictorial canons. Bosch depicted a scene whose space has lost all connection with reality. Heads and torsos emerge from the darkness and disappear into the darkness.
He translates ugliness, both external and internal, into a certain higher aesthetic category, which, even six centuries later, continues to excite minds and feelings.

In the painting by Hieronymus Bosch “The Crowning with Thorns”, Jesus, surrounded by four tormentors, 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 depicted tormentors of Christ - stands out among the symbolic numbers with a special richness 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 the tormentors of Christ are the bearers of the four temperaments, that is, all varieties of people. The two faces above are considered the embodiment of a phlegmatic and melancholic temperament, below - a sanguine and choleric one.

The impassive Christ is placed in the center of the composition, but the main thing here is not him, 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 Altar "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, who, by the 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 St. Anthony" is the left wing of the altar "The Temptation of St. Anthony" and tells about the struggle of the saint with the Devil. The artist returned to this theme more than once in his work. Saint Anthony is an instructive example of how to resist earthly temptations, to be on your guard all the time, not to accept everything that seems to be true, and to know that seduction can lead to God's curse.

The Capture of Jesus and the Carrying of the Cross 1505-1506 years. National Museum, Lisbon.

The outer doors of the triptych "The Temptation of St. Anthony"
Left outer wing "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 absolutely inevitable, the intrepid steadfastness 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 "Garden of Earthly Delights" got its name "Musical Hell" because of the images of tools used as instruments of torture

The victim becomes the executioner, the prey the hunter, and this is the best way to convey the chaos that reigns in Hell, where the normal relationships that once existed in the world are reversed, and the most ordinary and harmless objects of everyday life, growing to monstrous sizes, turn into instruments of torture.

Hieronymus Bosch Altar "The 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 inhabits a fantastic landscape with many real as well as unreal species of flora and fauna.
In the foreground of this landscape, depicting the antediluvian world, is not a scene of the temptation or expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, but their union by God.
He holds Eve's hand in the manner of a wedding ceremony. Here Bosch depicts the mystical wedding of Christ, Adam and Eve

In the center of the composition rises the Source of Life - high. a thin, pink structure, decorated with intricate carvings. Glittering in the mud gems, as well as fantastic beasts, probably inspired by medieval ideas about India, which captivated the imagination of Europeans with its miracles 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 altar "The Garden of Earthly Delights" - the most famous triptych of Hieronymus Bosch, which got its name from the theme of the central part, is dedicated to the sin of voluptuousness - Luxuria.
Do not assume that a crowd of naked lovers, according to Bosch's plan, was to become the apotheosis of sinless sexuality. For medieval morality, sexual intercourse, which in the 20th century finally learned to be perceived as a natural part of human existence, was more often proof that a person had lost his angelic nature and fell 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.

World creation 1505-1506. Prado Museum, Madrid.

External shutters "Creation of the World" of the altar "Garden of Earthly Delights". Bosch depicts here the third day of creation: the creation of the earth, flat and round, washed by the sea and placed in a giant sphere. In addition, newly emerged vegetation is depicted.
This rare, if not unique, plot demonstrates the depth and power of Bosch's imagination.

Hieronymus Bosch Altar "Hay Cart", 1500-1502

Paradise, triptych Carriage of hay

The left shutter of Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "The Hay Cart" is dedicated to the theme of the fall of the forefathers, Adam and Eve. The traditional, cult nature of this composition is beyond doubt: it includes four episodes from the biblical Book of Genesis - the overthrow of the rebellious angels from heaven, the creation of Eve, the fall, the expulsion from Paradise. All scenes are distributed in the space of a single landscape depicting Paradise.

Carriage of hay 1500-1502, Prado Museum, Madrid.

The world is a haystack: Everyone gets as much as they can. The human race appears to be mired in sin, completely rejecting the divine institutions and indifferent to the fate prepared for it by the Almighty.

Hieronymus Bosch's triptych "Hay Carriage" is considered the first of the great satirical-legal allegories of the mature period of the artist's work.
Against the backdrop of an endless landscape, a cavalcade is moving behind a huge hay cart, and among them are the emperor and the pope (with recognizable features Alexander VI). Representatives of other classes - peasants, townspeople, clerics and nuns - grab armfuls of hay from the cart or fight over it. Christ, surrounded by a golden radiance, is indifferently and aloofly watching the feverish human bustle from above.
No one, except for 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 "Hay Cart". The image of Hell is found in Bosch's work much more often than Paradise. Artist fills space with apocalyptic fires and ruins architectural buildings, forcing to recall Babylon - the Christian quintessence of the demonic city, traditionally opposed to the "City of heavenly Jerusalem". In his version of Hell, Bosch relied on literary sources, coloring the motifs drawn from there with the play of his own imagination.

The outer shutters of the altar "Hay Cart" have their own name " life path”and in terms of craftsmanship are inferior to the image on the inner doors and were probably completed by apprentices and students of Bosch
The Path of Bosch's pilgrim runs through a hostile and treacherous world, and all the dangers that it poses 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 tongues are often compared to dog barking). 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" afterlife", part of the altar "Last Judgment", 1500-1504

Earthly Paradise, composition Vision of the afterlife

In the mature period of creativity, Bosch moves from the image of the visible world to the imaginary one, generated by his indefatigable imagination. Visions appear to him as if in a dream, because the images of Bosch are devoid of physicality, they whimsically 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 common sense, the realm of the Antichrist. The artist translated the prophecies that spread in Western Europe by the beginning of the 16th century - the time when the End of the World was predicted,

Ascension to the Empyrean 1500-1504, Doge's Palace, Venice.

The Earthly Paradise is directly below the Heavenly Paradise. This is a kind of intermediate step, where the righteous are cleansed of the last stains of sin before they appear before the Almighty.

Depicted, accompanied by angels, march to the source of life. Those who have already been saved look up to heaven. In Ascension to the Empyrean, disembodied souls, having got rid of everything earthly, rush to 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 the revealed divinity."

The overthrow of sinners 1500-1504, 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 hellfire.

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.

hell river, composition Visions of the underworld 1500-1504, Doge's Palace, Venice.

In the painting "Hell's River" from the top of a steep cliff, a column of fire beats into the sky, and below, in the water, the souls of sinners helplessly flounder. 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, which pulls his hand. The Last Judgment is the main theme that runs through all of Bosch's work. He depicts the Last Judgment as world catastrophe, a night illuminated by flashes of hellfire, against which monstrous monsters torture sinners.

In the time of Bosch, clairvoyants and astrologers argued that before the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment took place, the Antichrist would rule the world. Many then believed that this time had already come. The Apocalypse became extremely popular - the Revelation of the Apostle John the Theologian, written during the period of religious persecution in Ancient Rome, a vision of terrifying catastrophes to which God will subject the world for the sins of people. Everything will perish in the cleansing flame.

The painting “Removing 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, put on the surgeon's head in mockery, a jug on his belt, a patient's bag pierced by a dagger.

Marriage at Cana

AT traditional plot the first miracle created by Christ - the transformation of water into wine - Bosch introduces new elements of mystery. A psalm-reader who stands with his hands upraised in front of the bride and groom, a musician in an improvised gallery, a master of ceremonies pointing to fine workmanship ceremonial dishes on display, a servant who faints - all these figures are completely unexpected and unusual for the depicted plot.

Magician 1475 - 1480s. Museum Boymans van Beiningen.

Hieronymus Bosch's "Magician" board is a picture filled with humor, where the faces of the characters themselves and, of course, the behavior of the main actors: an insidious charlatan, a simpleton who believed that he spat out a frog, and a thief, with an indifferent look dragging a bag from him.

The painting “Death and the Miser” was written on a plot, possibly inspired by the well-known in the Netherlands didactic text “Ars moriendi” (“The Art of Dying”), which describes the struggle of devils and angels for the soul of a dying person.

Bosch captures climax. Death crosses the threshold of the room, the angel calls out to the image of the crucified Savior, and the devil tries to take possession of the soul of the dying miser.

The painting “Allegory of gluttony and lust” or otherwise “Allegory of gluttony and lust”, apparently, Bosch considered these sins to be one of the most disgusting and inherent primarily in monks.

Painting "The Crucifixion of Christ". For Bosch, the image of Christ is the personification of mercy, purity of soul, patience and simplicity. He is opposed by the powerful forces of evil. They subject him to terrible torments, physical and spiritual. Christ shows man an example of overcoming all difficulties. It is followed by both saints and some ordinary people.

The painting "The 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 extensively and in his youth made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Later, he retired for four years to the Chalkis desert, where he lived as an ascetic hermit.

In the painting "St. John on Patmos" by Bosch, John the Evangelist is depicted, 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 he preached the baptism of repentance for the Jews. He baptized Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan, then was beheaded because of the machinations of the Jewish princess Herodias and her daughter Salome.

Saint Christopher 1505. Museum Boijmans van Beiningen, Rotterdam.

Saint Christopher is depicted as a giant carrying a blessing Child across the river - an episode that follows directly from his life

Saint Christopher is a holy martyr, 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.

Once he was asked to be carried across the river a little boy. 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 was carrying with him all the burdens of the world. Then Jesus baptized Repreva 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 in prison, where, after long torment, he found 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 the complete evil of the world through the self-sacrifice of Christ. If at the first stage of creativity main theme Bosch was a criticism of human vices, then, being a mature master, he seeks to create the image of a positive hero, embodying it in the images of Christ and the saints.

In front of the dilapidated hut, the Mother of God sits majestically. She shows the baby to the magi, 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" Belthazar lays at the feet of Mary - a small sculptural group depicts Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac; it is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Hieronymus Bosch often chose the lives of saints as the theme of his paintings. In contrast to the traditions of medieval painting, Bosch rarely depicts the miracles they created and the winning, spectacular episodes of their martyrdom, which delighted the people of that time. The artist glorifies "quiet" virtues associated with introspective contemplation. Bosch has no holy warriors, no gentle virgins desperately defending their chastity. His heroes are hermits, indulging in pious reflections against the backdrop of landscapes.

Martyrdom of Saint Liberata 1500-1503, Doge's Palace, Venice.

Saint Liberata or Vilgefortis (from Latin Virgo Fortis - Persistent Virgin; II century) - 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 off as the king of Sicily. However, she did not want to marry any kings, since she was a Christian and took 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 fearsome man, after which the angry father ordered her to be crucified.

From the trust of Christ in all their cruelty are presented in the picture " Ecce Homo"("Son of man in front of the crowd"). Bosch depicts how Christ is led to a high podium by soldiers whose exotic headdresses are reminiscent of their paganism; the negative meaning of what is happening is emphasized traditional symbols evil: an owl in a niche, a toad on the shield of one of the warriors. The crowd expresses their hatred for the Son of God with threatening gestures and terrible grimaces.

The vivid authenticity of Bosch's works, the ability to depict the movements of a person's soul, the amazing ability to draw a moneybag and a beggar, a merchant and a cripple - all this takes him the most important place in the development of genre painting.

Bosch's work seems strangely modern: four centuries later, his influence suddenly manifested itself in the expressionist movement and, later, in surrealism.