How Hieronymus Bosch became famous. Hieronymus Bosch paintings

Jeroen Anthoniszoon van Aken, better known as Hieronymus Bosch- an amazing and original Dutch painter, whose work still does not leave indifferent anyone who is even casually familiar with him.

Before moving on to his work, I would like to say a few words about his biography. Yes, exactly “a couple of words”, since this is one of the few greatest artists, about whose life almost nothing is known. A known facts so banal that they absolutely do not allow us to draw any parallel between the artist’s personality and his unreal, fantastic work.

It is known for certain that Hieronymus Bosch was born into a family of hereditary artists, although the year of his birth is not precisely established. He took his pseudonym from the name of the city of 's-Hertogenbosch (North Flanders, the Netherlands), in which he was born. Since nothing is known about the period of his training, it is assumed that he studied painting in the family workshop. IN mature age he married a wealthy patrician and most He spent his life on her estate, financially secure and free to write as he wanted. That's basically it…

However, one can talk and discuss about the work of Hieronymus Bosch, looking at all the smallest nuances and details of his paintings, for an infinitely long time.

The period of his creativity falls on the stage of transition from the cultural era of the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, which partly explains the amazing combination in his paintings of medieval fantasy, folklore, and the beginnings of landscape and genre painting.

Like the bulk of Renaissance artists, Hieronymus Bosch took subjects from the reality around him and expressed them through images and symbols medieval traditions, through the language of allegory close to him.

Thus, almost all of his paintings are filled with a huge amount various items, devices, people, animals and plants adjacent to a variety of fantastic creatures, freaks and symbols unfamiliar to us, destroying the reality of what is happening.

At the same time, as a rule, the bulk of them are made up of various cripples, beggars, various kinds of freaks, some terrible and disgusting demonic creatures, and the real plots take on completely creepy and inexplicable features.

Until now, experts on the life and work of Hieronymus Bosch cannot come to a consensus on what the artist had in mind when creating this entire phantasmagoria.

Someone believes that the artist became disillusioned with the human essence, that he even had attacks of hostility towards people, so he tried to show all the inferiority human nature, allowing various kinds of cruelty, bullying and betrayal.

Others believe that over the years Hieronymus Bosch came to the conviction that all earthly life is nothing more than the road to hell. He depicts hell in all its diversity, including in the form of a kitchen where sinners are “boiled, fried and tortured in various ways.”

And if in early work artist, hell was limited by the boundaries of the underworld, then later it gradually begins to penetrate earthly life, become its full and inseparable part.
In any case, the work of Hieronymus Bosch will not leave anyone indifferent.

And, despite the fact that only about two dozen of his paintings and a dozen drawings have survived to this day, experts still continue to retell and analyze their plots and details, although this is a completely thankless task.

Each person sees in his paintings what his own imagination and fantasy tell him, life experience and acquired knowledge, as well as inner world and attitude, both to the people around him and to life in general.

Jeroen Antonison van Aken, better known as Hieronymus Bosch, is a Dutch Renaissance artist who combined fantastic, folklore, philosophical and satirical motifs in his paintings.

Childhood and youth

Hieronymus Bosch was born around 1453 in 's-Hertogenbosch (province of Brabant). His family, which originated from the German city of Aachen (where it got its surname), has long been associated with the creative industry. Jerome's grandfather, Jan van Aken, as well as four of his five sons, including the future artist's father Anthony, were painters.

The Van Aken family workshop carried out orders for painting walls, gilding wooden sculptures and making church utensils. It was probably in this forge of painting that Hieronymus Bosch received his first creative lessons. In 1478, when his father dies, Bosch becomes the owner of an art workshop.

The first mention of Jerome dates back to 1480. Then he, wanting to start his own business and separate himself from the surname Aken, took the pseudonym Hieronymus the painter by the surname Bosch, which comes from his name hometown.

In 1486, in the biography of Hieronymus Bosch, the crucial moment: He joins the Brotherhood of Our Lady, a religious society dedicated to the cult. He performs creative work- designs festive processions and ceremonies, paints the altar for the Chapel of the Brotherhood in the Cathedral of St. John. From this moment on, religious motifs run like a red thread through Jerome’s work.

Painting

First famous paintings Bosch, which are brightly satirical in nature, presumably date back to the mid-1470s. For example, in the period 1475-1480 the works “The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things”, “Marriage at Cana”, “The Magician” and “Removing the Stones of Folly” (“Operation of Folly”) were created.

These works hypnotize contemporaries. For example, King Philip II of Spain even hangs the painting “The Seven Deadly Sins...” in his bedroom to reflect on sinfulness human nature felt more acutely.

In the first paintings, Jerome ridicules people's naivety, their vulnerability to charlatans, including those in monastic robes. In 1490-1500, Bosch created an even more brutal painting, “Ship of Fools,” which depicts monks. They sing songs surrounded by commoners, and the ship is steered by a jester.

Landscape also has a place in Bosch’s work. For example, in the triptych “Garden earthly pleasures"Jerome depicts the world on the third day of God's Creation. In the center of the picture are naked people, frozen in a blissful half-sleep, and around them are animals and birds, striking in their size.

The triptych " Last Judgment" The central part depicts the Last Judgment itself, where the righteous are contrasted against the blue sky by sinners pierced by arrows and spears. On the left wing - Paradise in dynamics. In the foreground is the creation of Eve, in the middle is the scene of temptation and the bone of contention, and in the background is the cherub who drives them out of Eden. The right wing of the triptych depicts Hell.

Bosch gravitated towards presenting creativity through a triptych. For example, the painting “A Wagon of Hay” also consists of three parts. The central part depicts a maddened crowd dismantling a large cart of hay into bundles. Thus, the artist denounces greed.

In addition, on the canvas you can find pride in the image of secular and spiritual rulers, lust in loving couples and gluttony in a plump monk. The left and right wings are decorated with already familiar motifs - Hell and the Fall of Adam and Eve.

From Bosch's paintings one cannot say that he gravitated towards a certain genre of painting. His canvases reflected portraits, landscapes, architectural painting, animal painting and decor. However, Jerome is considered one of the progenitors of landscape and genre painting in Europe.

A distinctive feature of the work of Hieronymus Bosch is that he became the first of his compatriots who created studies and sketches before moving on to a full-fledged creation. Some of the sketches eventually saw the light of day in the form of paintings and triptychs. Often the sketches were a figment of the artist’s imagination, inspired by the images of Gothic monsters that he saw in engravings or church frescoes.

It is also characteristic that Hieronymus Bosch did not sign or date his works. According to art historians, only seven paintings were signed by the master. The names that the paintings have today may not have been invented by the author himself, but were preserved from museum catalogs.

Hieronymus Bosch created using the technique a la prima (from the Italian a la prima - “in one sitting”), which consists of finishing applying a layer of oil before it is completely dry. In the traditional painting method, the artist waits for a layer of paint to dry before adding the next one.

Personal life

With all the madness artistic ideas Hieronymus Bosch was not alone. In 1981, he married Aleit Goyaerts van der Meerveen, whom he is believed to have known since childhood. She was from a rich and noble family and brought her husband a substantial fortune.

The marriage did not leave any descendants, but provided Jerome with financial well-being. From the moment of his marriage to Aleit, he took on those orders that brought him moral rather than material pleasure.

Death

The painter died on August 9, 1516. The funeral service took place in the same chapel of the Cathedral of St. John, which Bosch painted, being an adherent of the idea of ​​​​the Brotherhood of Our Lady. The cause of death, unlike Jerome’s work, cannot be called mystical - at that time the artist was 67 years old. However, centuries after the burial, historians testify to amazing events.

In 1977, the grave was opened, but no remains were found there. Historian Hans Gaalfe, who led the excavations, said that a fragment of stone was found in the grave. When it was placed under a microscope, it began to heat up and glow. Because of this interesting fact It was decided to stop the excavations.

Works

Bosch's works are kept in galleries and museums around the world - in the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, etc.

• 1475-1480 - "The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things"
• 1480-1485 - “Crucifixion with Donor”
• 1490-1500 - “Allegory of Gluttony and Lust”
• 1490-1500 - “Crown of Thorns”
• 1490-1500 - “The Garden of Earthly Delights”
• 1495-1505 - “The Last Judgment”
• 1500 - "Death of a Miser"
• 1500-1502 - “Cart of Hay”
• 1500-1510 - “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”
• 1505-1515 - “The Blessed and the Damned”

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

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

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

1. Garden of earthly delights. 1505-1510

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Ship of Fools. 1495-1500

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

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

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

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

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

3. Temptation of Saint Anthony. 1505-1506

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can admire these entities in detail in the article.

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

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

4. Prodigal Son. 1500

In the painting “Prodigal Son”, instead of huge amount characters - one main character. Traveler.

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Carrying the cross 1515-1516

An unexpected job for Bosch. Instead of distant horizons and many characters, there is a very close approach. Only foreground. The faces are so close to us that we can even feel claustrophobic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Test your knowledge by taking

Hieronymus Bosch is probably the most mysterious artist in the world. Until now, researchers are arguing about the essence of his work, about why he chose such strange and frightening subjects... He is called a religious heretic, a magician, an alchemist, an alien, a contactee...

Member of the Brotherhood of Our Lady

The painter's real name was Jeroen van Aken. He was born around 1450 in the Dutch city of 's-Hertogenbosch, then part of the Duchy of Burgundy. The van Aken family came from the German city of Aachen. Both Jeroen's grandfather, Jan van Aken, and his father Anthony were artists.

The young van Aken's name is first mentioned as "Jheronimus" in archival documents for 1474. In 1478, Jerome's father died, and his son inherited his art workshop. Basically, the van Akens were engaged in carrying out various orders - wall paintings, gilding of wooden sculptures, making church utensils. According to documents, in 1480 Jerome took the pseudonym Bosch. It was just a derivative of the abbreviated name of his hometown of 's-Hertogenbosch - Den Bosch.

In 1486, the painter joined the Brotherhood of Our Lady (“Zoete Lieve Vrouw”), which included both clergy and laymen. Perhaps Bosch was motivated by commercial interests: he was entrusted with the design of various ceremonies, paintings in the temple, etc. He quickly became known outside the community.

Bosch died in 1516. After him, about 25 paintings and 8 drawings survived. Among them are triptychs, fragments of triptychs and, finally, individual paintings.

Drawing Hell

Many of Bosch's paintings were created to order religious subjects. Thus, he allegedly wrote his famous triptych “The Last Judgment” by order of the then ruler of the Netherlands and King of Castile, Philip I. “The Temptation of St. Anthony” - by order of King Philip’s sister Margaret of Austria, who became viceroy in the Netherlands after the death of her brother.

The first thing that attracts attention in the artist’s works is the abundance of various demons and monsters, chaotic combinations of parts human body, plants and animals... He was called the artist who paints hell.

Let's take one of the most famous paintings Bosch - "The Garden of Earthly Delights". It depicts giant monsters with naked people swarming in the background.

Or a monster whose body is a cracked egg and whose legs are tree trunks. Inside the monster you can see a tavern filled with visitors drinking and eating...

Light of other dimensions

Images of the Apocalypse are found in many painters, but Bosch’s interpretation is very far from generally accepted Christian canons. In one of his frescoes, preserved in the Cathedral of 's-Hertogenbosch, crowds of people in the darkness with outstretched arms watch a descending green cone-shaped object, inside of which a bright white ball flickers. Inside it one can see a naked figure, only partially resembling a person.

Dutch professor of history and iconography Edmund Van Hoosse suggested that Bosch foresaw contact between earthlings and aliens (which, however, has not yet taken place). And American parapsychologist and ufologist Jordan Hards claims that the artist himself was an alien, and all his paintings depict nothing more than space travel...

Alchemist, heretic, seer?

Nowadays, interest in Bosch is even higher than among his contemporaries. Some researchers believe that the artist was a surrealist of the Renaissance, and he extracted all the monstrous images from the depths of the subconscious. Others see in Bosch's works various symbols associated with magic, astrology, and alchemy. Still others are convinced that Bosch was a heretic. Allegedly, he was a member of the Brotherhood of the Free Spirit, whose members were also called Adamites, a sect that arose back in the 13th century.

What symbolism can actually be seen in Bosch's works? Thus, the ladder in esotericism denotes the path to knowledge. An inverted funnel is a scam or false wisdom. The key is knowledge. A severed leg is heresy. Arrow is evil.

What do images of animals indicate? For example, the owl is usually considered a symbol of wisdom, but in Bosch it is found in the context of, say, deceit and sin. Therefore, it is logical to assume that the owl, a bird of prey and night, symbolizes dark side human nature. The same thing is symbolized by black birds, which are also present in the artist’s paintings. In the Middle Ages, the toad was definitely considered a “devilish” creature and in alchemy it symbolized sulfur, which in religion is associated with the underworld...

In the paintings there are sufficient quantities of dry trees and animal skeletons. These are nothing more than symbols of death.

American researcher, author of the book “The Secret Heresy of Bosch” Linda Harris believes that painting had a so-called visionary (prophetic) gift. Thus, she correlates the paintings of the Last Judgment with the wars and cataclysms of the modern era.

Empty grave

Another mystery is connected with the artist’s grave. His remains were buried in the chapel of the Church of St. John, which he once painted. In 1977, the burial was opened by archaeologists, and it turned out that the inside was empty! According to excavation director Hans Gaalfe, the flat stone also looked strange, not like the granite or marble that was usually used for tombstones in those days. When a fragment of stone was placed under a microscope, it began to emit a faint glow without any impact and heated up by more than three degrees.

The church did not allow the investigation of the burial to continue: it perceived these manipulations as desecration of the grave famous artist. Today in the Church of St. John you can see a tombstone with the name of the painter and the years of his life written on it. And at the top there is a fresco he once painted depicting a crucifixion surrounded by a strange greenish light...

Hieronymus Bosch, real name Jeroen Anthoniszoon van Aken, was born around 1450 in 's-Hertogenbosch (Brabant). 's-Hertogenbosch is one of the four largest cities of the Duchy of Brabant, located in the south of modern Holland.

It was from the abbreviated name of his hometown (Den Bosch) that the artist’s pseudonym was later taken, apparently out of the need to somehow separate himself from other representatives of his family. After all, the van Aken family, which originated from the German city of Aachen, has long been associated with the painting craft and numbered at least four generations - the artists were Jan van Aken (Bosch’s grandfather) and four of his five sons, including Jerome’s father, Anthony. It is assumed that he received his first lessons in painting in the family workshop, which carried out a wide variety of orders - primarily wall paintings, but also gilding wooden sculpture and even the manufacture of church utensils.

Unfortunately, there is very little information about the artist’s biography. There are no letters or recorded memories of the artist and his loved ones, and none of his paintings are dated. Bosch's biographers have only scant documents from the city archive at their disposal. In addition, in the twentieth century, many pseudo-biographies appeared that only confuse and misinform. In the above-mentioned documents, the name of Jeroen van Aken first appears in 1474: Bosch is mentioned along with his two brothers and sister.

Bosch lived and worked mainly in his native 's-Hertogenbosch. According to information from the city archives, his father died in 1478, and Bosch inherited his art workshop. Around that time, Jeroen van Aken married Aleit Goyaerts Van der Meerveen. She came from a very wealthy family and was much older than her husband. About fourteen documents written between 1474 and 1498 speak about his financial situation: by the end of the 15th century, Bosch was considered one of the richest residents of 's-Hertogenbosch. Thus, he is conditionally separated from those artists who created for the sake of money, because Bosch did not need it.

Image: Monument to Hieronymus Bosch in Hetogenbosch

It is also known that the artist joined the Brotherhood of Our Lady (“Zoete Lieve Vrouw”), a religious society that arose in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1318. It is from the surviving documents of the Brotherhood that several are known exact facts from the life of an artist.

The Brotherhood of the Virgin Mary, which exists to this day, played a very important role in Bosch's time. important role in the life of 's-Hertogenbosch. The object of worship of the members of the Brotherhood was the miraculous image of the Mother of God, located in the city church. By the way, the majestic St. John's Cathedral still adorns the central square of 's-Hertogenbosch.

According to documents, Bosch appeared on the list of members of the Brotherhood in 1486. But even earlier, in 1480, his name is mentioned in relation to Bosch’s purchase of two wings of the old altar, work on which his father did not have time to complete.

In 1488, he was invited as a guest of honor to the annual feast of the Brotherhood and at the same time became an honorary member of the organization. Jeroen van Aken was the only artist, elected as an honorary member of the Brotherhood throughout the history of the organization, and there is no doubt that he enjoyed great respect among the adherents of the Brotherhood. (By official rules Only a person with a theological education could become an honorary member of the Brotherhood, but there were exceptions).

The central part of the triptych “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”

In 1498 or 1499, Bosch presided over the annual feast of the “brothers of the swan”, on whose order he carried out some work from the design of festive processions and ritual sacraments Brotherhood before painting the altar doors for the Chapel of the Brotherhood in the Cathedral of St. John. Unfortunately, Bosch's works for the Brotherhood have not survived.

Thanks to his membership in the Brotherhood, Bosch acquired various connections and was the first to receive orders from noble compatriots. For example, from the Burgundian Duke Philip the Fair, who in the year of his accession ordered the artist a large altarpiece. From this triptych, called “The Last Judgment,” only a deformed fragment has survived. The artist worked both for the Spanish Queen Isabella of Castile and for Philip's sister and regent of the Netherlands Margaret of Austria.

The artist's name disappears from city documents for four years - from 1499 to 1503, it is assumed that the artist spent this time in Italy. This is confirmed by the assumptions of some researchers that the painting “The Three Philosophers” (circa 1500, Venice) by Giorgione depicts the author himself, Leonardo da Vinci and Hieronymus Bosch.

Bosch most likely spent the last years of his life in 's-Hertogenbosch and devoted them to work for the Brotherhood. The last mention of the artist in the books of the “brothers of the swan” is dated August 9, 1516. On this day, a solemn funeral mass for “Brother Jerome” took place in the Cathedral of St. John. The solemnity of this ceremony confirms Bosch’s close connection with the Brotherhood of Our Lady.

Fragment of the triptych “Garden of Earthly Delights”

Bosch's art has always had a huge attractive force. And today some consider Bosch to be something like a 15th-century surrealist, who extracted his unprecedented images from the depths of the subconscious, others believe that Bosch’s art reflects medieval “esoteric disciplines” - alchemy, astrology, black magic.

Art historians attribute to the surviving heritage of Hieronymus Bosch 25 paintings and eight drawings, which are stored in the most different museums peace. He had copyists, followers, imitators. But the world in Bosch’s paintings still defies any explanations or theories, and remains atypical for European painting XV century.