Hieronymus Bosch- most enigmatic artist all times and peoples. His paintings are still trying to decipher. But we will not come close to their complete solution.

Because Bosch spoke several languages. In the language of religious symbolism. In the language of the alchemists. 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, which are so captivating with their mystery.

1. Garden of earthly delights. 1505-1510

Hieronymus Bosch. The Garden of Earthly Delights. 1505-1510 Prado Museum, Madrid. wikimedia.commons.org

The Garden of Earthly Delights is Bosch's most famous work. It can be viewed for hours. But so nothing to understand. Why all these naked people? Giant berries. Weird 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. A cat drags a mouse in its teeth. And nearby, a bird is pecking at a frog.

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

Hieronymus Bosch. The Garden of Earthly Delights. Fragment of the left wing of the triptych. 1505-1510 Prado Museum, Madrid

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

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

If it doesn't work, find it. close-up in the article.

But did you know that a copy of the central part of the famous triptych is stored in it? Created 50 years later by a follower of Bosch. The postures and gestures are the same. Only Mannerist people. With beautiful torsos and languid faces.

Bosch's characters are more flat and bloodless. Like blanks, blanks of people. And why write real people if their life is empty, aimless.

Top: Follower of Bosch. The Garden of Earthly Delights. Fragment. 1556-1568 , Saint Petersburg. Below: 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 miserly.

But even here there are no less mysteries. Why are we meeting Eve here? She sits under the chair of a bird-headed monster. 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

Hieronymus Bosch. Ship of fools. 1495-1500 . wikimedia.commons.org

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

But something is wrong with Bosch's ship. Its passengers indulge in empty fun. They bawl, they drink. Both monks and laity. They don't even notice that their ship isn't sailing anywhere. And so long ago that a tree sprouted through the bottom.

Pay attention to the jester. A fool by profession behaves more seriously than others. He turned away from the merry and drinks his compote. Without him, there are 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 coast. 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.

Hieronymus Bosch. Allegory of gluttony and lust. 1500 Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, USA.

3. Temptation of St. Anthony. 1505-1506

. 1500 National Museum old art in Lisbon, Portugal. wikimedia.commons.org

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

First, demons torment the saint in heaven. Satan sent them. It haunted him that he was struggling with earthly temptations.

The demons threw the tormented saint to the ground. We see how his exhausted lead under the arms.

In the central part, the saint is already kneeling among the mysterious characters. It's the alchemists trying to concoct him with an elixir eternal life. As we know, nothing came of them.

Hieronymus Bosch. Temptation of Saint Anthony. Fragment of the central part of the triptych. 1500 National Museum of Old Art in Lisbon, Portugal

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. From such a variety of unknown creatures, the eyes run wide.

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

Hieronymus Bosch. Fragment of the left wing of the triptych "The Temptation of St. Anthony". 1500 National Museum of Old Art in Lisbon, Portugal

You can admire these entities in detail in the article.

Bosch liked to portray St. Anthony. In 2016, another painting with this saint was recognized as the work of Bosch.

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

Hieronymus Bosch. Temptation of Saint Anthony. 1500-1510 Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, USA. wikimedia.commons.org

4. Prodigal son. 1500

Hieronymus Bosch. Prodigal son. 1500 Boymans-Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. wikimedia.commons.org

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

He's pretty beat up with life. But he has hope. Leaving the world of debauchery and sin, he wants to return home to his father. In the world of righteous life and spiritual grace.

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

The roof has leaked. The shutter is warped. A visitor urinates right around the corner. And two have mercy in the doorway. All this symbolizes spiritual degradation.

Hieronymus Bosch. Prodigal son. Fragment. 1500 Boijmans-Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

But our traveler has already woken up. He realized that he needed to leave. A woman is looking at him from the window. She doesn't understand what he's doing. Or jealous. She does not have the strength and ability to leave this “leaky”, miserable world.

The "prodigal son" is like another traveller. Which is depicted on the closed doors of the triptych "Who hay".

Hieronymus Bosch. Wanderer. Closed sashes triptych "Wagon of the Seine". 1516 Prado Museum, Madrid

Here the meaning is similar. We are travelers. On our way there is much to rejoice. 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

Hieronymus Bosch. Carrying the cross. 1515-1516 Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, Belgium. wga.hu

An unexpected job for Bosch. Instead of distant horizons and many characters - a very close approximation. Foreground only. The faces are so close to us that you can even feel an attack of claustrophobia.

There are no more monsters. The people themselves are ugly. All their vices are read on their faces. Gloat. condemnation of another. Soul deafness. Aggression.

Note that only three characters have normal traits. Repentant thief in the upper right corner. Christ Himself. And Saint Veronica in the lower left corner.

Hieronymus Bosch. Carrying the cross. Fragment. 1515-1516 Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, Belgium. wikipedia.org

They closed their eyes. Having renounced this world, which is filled with a screaming and angry crowd. Only the thief and Christ go to the right, towards death. And Veronica to the left, in the direction of life.

On the handkerchief of Veronica appeared the image of Christ. He looks at us. 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 judgment.

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

Therefore, its main character is a man. Which he considered from all points of view. And from afar. Like in The Garden of Earthly Delights. And very close. Like in Carrying the Cross.

His verdict is not comforting. 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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Bosch, Bos (Bosch) Hieronymus [actually Hieronymus van Aeken, Hieronymus van Aeken], the 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-figure compositions, paintings on themes folk sayings, proverbs and parables (“The Temptation of St. Anthony”, National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon; triptychs “Garden of Delights”, “Adoration of the Magi” - all in the Prado Museum; “Ship of Fools”, Louvre Museum) combined sophisticated medieval fantasy generated by boundless imagination grotesque demonic images with folklore-satirical and moralizing tendencies, with realistic innovations unusual for the art of his era. Poetic landscape backgrounds, bold life observations, aptly captured by the artist Hieronymus Bosch, folk types and everyday scenes paved the way for the formation of the Dutch household genre and landscape; craving for irony and allegory, for the embodiment in a grotesque-satirical form of a broad picture of folk life contributed to the formation creative manner Pieter Brueghel the Elder and other artists.

Bosch's style is unique and unparalleled in the Dutch painting tradition. The painting of Hieronymus Bosch is not at all like the work of other artists of the time, such as Jan van Eyck or Rogier van der Weyden. 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 hometown. And after death, it increased immeasurably and did not decrease for a long time; the painting of the master found an ardent admirer in the person of Philip II, King of Spain. Most of the plots of Bosch's paintings are connected with episodes from the life of Christ or saints who resist vice, or are gleaned from allegories and proverbs about human greed and stupidity.

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 gives him the most important place in the development genre painting. In the future, the world of bizarre images of Bosch was fed by the fantastically romantic searches of many artists of the 19th-20th centuries. Bosch's work seems strangely modern: four centuries later, his influence suddenly appeared in the Expressionist movement and, later, in Surrealism. Many artists of these trends in painting created canvases based on the plot of the painting “The Temptation of St. Anthony”.

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 the themes of 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 their end will be.”- 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 connected 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, pose, closed with fingers woven into 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 desirable 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 painting "The 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 did not know such an image of poverty before Bosch - 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 by the powerful forces of 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.
Deformity, both external and internal, he translates into some higher aesthetic category, which six centuries later continues to excite the 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 resist 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 Everyday life, growing to monstrous proportions, 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 by the 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 performances 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 "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 was finally learned to be perceived as a natural part of human being, was more often proof that a person had lost his angelic nature and fell low. At best, intercourse 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 character of this composition is beyond doubt: it includes four episodes from bible book 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 background 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 of 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. The artist fills the space with apocalyptic fires and the ruins of architectural buildings, making one think of 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 gleaned 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 visible world to the imaginary generated by his indefatigable fantasy. 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 rid themselves of everything earthly, rush to the bright light that shines 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 him by the hand. The Last Judgment is the main theme that runs through all of Bosch's work. He depicts the Last Judgment as a world catastrophe, a night illuminated by flashes of hellish flames, 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 horrific 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

In the traditional plot of 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 the 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 the climax. Death crosses the threshold of the room, an 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 due to intrigues 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.

One day he was asked to be carried across the river by 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 those around Christ. negative characters, bringing to the fore 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 has been criticized human vices, then, being a mature master, he strives to create an image goodie, 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. Unlike tradition medieval painting Bosch rarely depicts the miracles they performed 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) is 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 Christ being 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 assigns him an important place in the development of genre painting.

Bosch's work seems strangely modern: four centuries later, his influence suddenly appeared in the Expressionist movement and, later, in Surrealism.

So, the number of originals, the cost of caring for a beard, the scope of anniversary celebrations and others are not 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 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 financial position 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 Meervene, the artist was never short of money, and by the beginning of the 16th century he 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. woman 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 compiles a reasonable catalog of Bosch's works, published by Mercatorfonds as a result of the work of the Dutch research project. You can buy the catalog for 125 euros.

17 paintings and 19 drawings Bosch, through unprecedented negotiating efforts, managed to get different museums peace Charles de Moeuil, director of the North Brabant Museum 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. Admission ticket cost 22 euros.

"Three Philosophers" called famous painting Giorgione, which art historian Linda Harris, author of The Secret Heresy of Hieronymus Bosch, believes depicts Leonardo, Giorgione himself, and Bosch (center) who secretly visited Venice.

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 kept in the 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 in 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 leaf 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.

Jeroen Antonison van Aken (Dutch. Jeroen Anthoniszoon van Aken), better known as Hieronymus Bosch (Dutch. Jheronimus Bosch [ˌɦijeˈroːnimʏs ˈbɔs], lat. Hieronymus Bosch; around 1450-1516) is a Dutch hereditary artist, one of the largest masters of the Northern Renaissance period . Of the artist's work, about ten paintings and twelve drawings have been preserved. He was ordained a member of the Brotherhood of Our Lady (Dutch Illustre Lieve Vrouwe Broederschap; 1486); considered one of the most mysterious painters in the history of Western art. In Bosch's hometown, 's-Hertogenbosch, Holland, the Bosch Art Center has been opened, displaying copies of all of his works.

Jeroen van Aken was born around 1450 in 's-Hertogenbosch (Brabant). The van Aken family, which originated from the German city of Aachen, has long been associated with the pictorial craft - the artists were Jan van Aken (grandfather of Bosch, d. 1454) and four of his five sons, including Jerome's father, Anthony. Since nothing is known about Bosch's development as an artist, it is assumed that he received his first painting lessons in the family workshop.

Bosch lived and worked mainly in his native 's-Hertogenbosch, which at that time was part of the Duchy of Burgundy, and is now the administrative center of the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. The first mention of Bosch in archival documents dates back to 1474, where he is called "Jheronimus".

According to information about the life of the artist, preserved in the city archive, his father died in 1478, and Bosch inherited his art workshop. The van Akens' workshop carried out a wide variety of orders - primarily wall paintings, but also gilding. wooden sculpture and even the manufacture of church utensils. “Hieronimus the painter” (according to a document of 1480) took a pseudonym for the abbreviated name of his hometown - Den Bosch - during the period of change of power in the country: after the death of Charles the Bold (1477), power in the Burgundian Netherlands passed by 1482 from Valois to the Habsburgs.

Around 1480, the artist marries Aleith Goyarts van der Meervene, whom he apparently knew from childhood. She came from a wealthy merchant family in 's-Hertogenbosch. Through this marriage, Bosch becomes an influential burgher in his hometown. They didn't have children.

In 1486 he joined the Brotherhood of Our Lady (“Zoete Lieve Vrouw”), a religious society that arose in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1318 and consisted of both monks and laity. The Brotherhood, dedicated to the cult of the Virgin Mary, was also involved in charity work. In archival documents, Bosch's name is mentioned several times: as a painter, he was entrusted with various orders, from decorating festive processions and ritual sacraments of the Brotherhood to painting the altar doors for the Brotherhood's chapel in the Cathedral of St. John (1489, lost) or even models of a candelabra.

In 1497 his elder brother Gossen van Aken died. In 1504, Bosch received an order from the governor of the Netherlands, Philip the Handsome, for the Last Judgment triptych.

The painter died on August 9, 1516, the funeral service was performed in the aforementioned chapel of the cathedral. The solemnity of this ceremony confirms Bosch's closest connection with the Brotherhood of Our Lady.

Six months after Bosch's death, his wife distributed to the heirs what little was left after the artist. There is every reason to believe that Hieronymus Bosch never owned any real estate. Bosch's wife survived her husband by three years.

Bosch's art has always had a tremendous attraction. Previously, it was believed that the devilry in the paintings of Bosch was intended only to amuse the audience, to tickle their nerves, like those grotesque figures that the masters of the Italian Renaissance wove into their ornaments.

Modern scientists have come to the conclusion that Bosch's work has a much deeper meaning, and have made many attempts to explain its meaning, find its origins, and give it an interpretation. Some consider Bosch to be something like a surrealist of the 15th century, who extracted his unprecedented images from the depths of the subconscious, and, calling his name, invariably recall Salvador Dali. Others believe that Bosch's art reflects medieval "esoteric disciplines" - alchemy, astrology, black magic. Still others try to connect the artist with various religious heresies that existed in that era. According to Frenger, Bosch was a member of the Brotherhood of the Free Spirit, whose adherents were also called Adamites, a heretical sect that arose in the thirteenth century but flourished throughout Europe several centuries later. However, this hypothesis is rejected by most scholars, since there is no evidence to support the existence of a sect in the Netherlands during Bosch's lifetime.

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