bosch's painting

The Seven Deadly Sins

This is one of Bosch's earliest known works and reflects the style and preoccupation which would later come to be considered characteristic of him. It belonged to Philip II King of Spain, who kept it in his apartments at the monastery of the Escorial.

The Seven Deadly Sins is a painted rectangle with a central image of the eye of God with Christ watching the world. The Seven Deadly Sins, depicted through scenes of worldly transgression, are arranged around the circular shape. The circular layout with God in the centre represents God's all seeing eye: No sin goes unnoticed. In the corners of the image appear the "Four Last Things" (the last four stages of life) mentioned in late medieval spiritual handbooks: Deathbed, Last Judgment, Heaven, and Hell, all of which are favourite themes of separate Bosch panels.

In the centre, fanned out around the figure of Christ, appear seven scenes each illustrating one of the Seven Deadly Sins, bearing the appropriate inscription and composed with the painter's usual vivacity and sense of the fantastic. (1) Anger presents a scene of jealousy and conflict; (2) in Pride, a demon presents a woman with a mirror; (3) in Lust, two sets of lovers speak within the confines of an open tent, entertained by a buffoon, while on the ground outside lie various musical instruments, including a harp which will reappear in the 'Garden of Earthly Delights'; (4) Idleness is represented by a woman dressed up for church and trying to wake a man deep in slumber; (5) Gluttony shows a table spread with food and around it figures eating voraciously; (6) Avarice displays a judge allowing himself to be bribed; and (7) Envy depicts the Flemish proverb 'Two dogs with one bone seldom reach agreement'.

detail

In The Ship of Fools " Bosch is imagining that the whole of mankind is voyaging through the seas of time on a ship, a small ship, that is representative of humanity. Sadly, every one of the representatives is a fool. This is how we live, says Bosch--we eat, dring, flirt, cheat, play silly games, pursue unattainable objectives. Meanwhile our ship drifts aimlessly and we never reach the harbour. The fools are not the irreligious, since promiment among them are a monk and a nun, but they are all those who live ``in stupidity''. Bosch laughs, and it is sad laugh. Which one of us does not sail in the wretched discomfort of the ship of human folly? Eccentric and secret genius that he was, Bosch not only moved the heart but scandalized it into full awareness. The sinister and monstrous things that he brought forth are the hidden creatures of our inward self-love: he externalizes the ugliness within, and so his misshapen demons have an effect beyond curiosity. We feel a hateful kinship with them. "The Ship of Fools" is not about other people, it is about us.

Removing "stones" from the head was a fairly common medieval operation; however, Bosch has painted a flower as the object being removed. The flower is a tulip which, in the Netherlands is a metaphor for being mad. It is common for someone in a mad (crazy) state to be called a "tulip head."

This is a damaged fragment which was later heavily repainted. The repaint was removed in 1936

The painting illustrates the contrast between good and evil and between the spirit and the flesh - the principle on which medieval morality was founded. Bosch's painting contrasts Jerome's tribulations in the foreground with a serene landscape that flows away into the background and which is handled with great naturalism. The saint has prostrated himself before a crucifix and finds himself in a strange and poetic setting, full of symbols and attributes. The rocks and tree-trunks are threatening and seem to have come to life, yet, even here, the overall impression is of great realism and lively detail.

Christ Carrying the Cross is an exceptionally dramatic painting, with a bold composition made up of closely packed heads for which no parallel exists in the art of the period around 1500. It is generally considered to be a late work and one of Bosch's greatest creations. The antithesis between good and evil, which was so crucial to Christian belief in Bosch's time, is raised to a climax. The painting is a peerless study of human facial expressions and demonic visages. Yet the chaotic and caricatured elements are never overwhelming and the painting seems to observe a complex balance of parallels and contrasts that emphasizes the serenity of Christ's gently modelled face in the centre. Amid all the tumult, we make out the clear profile of St Veronica withdrawing from the mob, the image of Christ's face - the 'vera icon' on her cloth

Hieronymus Bosch lived and worked at 's-Hertogenbosch where he was born into a family of artists coming originally from Aachen. He was introduced into high society, where he received commissions from prestigious persons. He is known for his works peopled with demonic beings, revealing an exceptional independence from the pictorial tradition of his time. However,the Crucifixion with a Donor, which is attributed to him, is perfectly in line with the iconographic tradition of the 15th century.

The composition shows a sort of hierarchical intercession procedure. The kneeling donor is praying for his salvation. He is accompanied by his patron, St Peter, identified by the key in his hand. Turning towards St John the Evangelist, St Peter presents his protégé. St John then looks towards the Virgin, asking her to intercede with her Son, which she does by praying. Christ figures on the cross as a sign of redemption, his sacrifice having made possible the salvation of the human race. The scene is portrayed in the place reserved for the torture of condemned criminals, on the edge of a Brabant city which is visible in the distance. Midway, a broken gibbet lies on the ground, surrounded by scattered bones and crows. Some figures are walking along the paths leading towards a mill to the left and a castle to the right.

The donor's identity is not known. Only his first name, Peter, is indicated by the presence of his patron saint. He is dressed in a white shirt and a brown pourpoint. Over this he wears a black cape and a hat on his head. His legs are dressed in striped black and red breeches and stockings decorated with the same motif. A sword shows out from under the cape. This costume, which was worn in the Low Countries during the last 20 years of the 15th century, could indicate that the donor was in a lord's service.

We do not know whether this panel originally had wings. No other crucifixion by Hieronymus Bosch is known, although the theme returns as a secondary motif in others of his paintings. It is also one of the master's few works containing a donor portrait. The style displays a striking balance and serenity. The flesh colours of Christ's body are softened and the draperies sober. The countryside shows a very gentle gradation of greens, producing a successful effect of depth.

哦也，BOSCH我的爱

挖。。
好想SM耶稣哦。。