The Genius of Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch, an artist, has been admired and imitated from the Northern Renaissance era up to today, but really, there is not much known about him.
Bosch was a Netherlandish painter born in approximately 1450 to a family of artists, with his grandfather being a painter and his father being an artistic advisor. The organization that his father advised for, the Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady, was a religious group created to promote the Mother of God. Bosch also ended up joining the Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady and his work, much like the theme of the group, mostly consisted of religious and fantastic imagery. The only other details known about his background consist of the fact that he married Aleyt Goyaerts van den Meerveen some time between 1479 and 1481, and that he passed away in 1516.
Not much can be traced back to Bosch besides this fragment of information and a small collection of his paintings. He had no journals, no letters, nothing for historians to gain a bit of insight on him. As of right now, historians have no information on his personal life, what his personality was like, or the thoughts that went into his artwork and how he would like them to be perceived.
His mysterious life is perhaps why it is so difficult to interpret and understand his artwork. In the past, some have argued that his artwork was inspired by obscure perspectives on Christianity such as the ideas of the Adamites or the Cathars. Others argue that his art was simply created as a source of entertainment. In more recent decades, though, it has been widely accepted that he was commenting on the Orthodox practices of his time, causing the argument that his art was highly fantastical to subside.
Apart from the discussion on the meaning of his art, his actual artwork has also been difficult to find or verify. Throughout the years, the number of pieces credited to him has continued to decrease. As the technology based on studying paintings has drastically improved over time, the paintings that were once thought to be Bosch’s have turned out to be creations from his workshops and students, not his own hands. Oddly, the exact opposite has also happened. A piece titled “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” had previously been credited to one of his students, but following a forensic study by Bosch Research and Conservation Project, it was revealed that the piece was to be credited to Bosch himself. These recognitions are still an ongoing investigation in Bosch’s work as studies on his paintings are still being conducted by experts, resulting in new findings to this day.
Apart from long debates on his artwork, his pieces also have some thought-provoking meanings. For example, a painting Bosch is rather renowned for, “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” was painted for the marriage of a count to show the simultaneous service and danger of a relationship. Although the story told in the triptych is somewhat clear, starting with Adam and Eve as peaceful lovers and ending in what is depicted to be “Hell,” Bosch’s artwork still shows his unmatched creativity as it is still a source of admiration from both professionals and art enthusiasts.
Much of his other work also seems bizarre at first, but with accurate context and historical account, they only shine a light on the genius of Hieronymus Bosch. Although not much is known about the man himself, his work still continues to fascinate and remain relevant among today’s art historians.
Sources:
https://www.artnews.com/feature/hieronymus-bosch-life-early-works-best-paintings-1202685134/
