Artist Research: Hieronymus Bosch, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ and the ‘Samsara’

 Hieronymus Bosch is one of the motifs mentioned for the theme ‘Earthly Delights’ in our lecture. The work pointed out in specific was ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, a three-panel work depicting the environment of heaven, hell and the present in abstract style. From the left is Bosch’s depiction of heaven, then the center the Earth and the right panel of hell. 

 Sadly, minimal information is available about his life and his career. Some parts that are known is that his father Antonius owned a workshop which his two brother have used as well, and was married to Aleid van de Meervenne who came from a wealthy family. Despite this lack of information and his tendency to not sign and date his works, causing the majority of his works to disappear, he had gained many followers and a city dedicated to him (Hertogenbosch, also known as ‘Den Bosch’). 

The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490-50

  Despite painting different sceneries, it is quite ironic that heaven is still as menacing as other parts of the work. It also seems like the Earth is quite similar to how heaven looks like, possibly implying that the pleasures of Earth is deceptive as it would lead them to hell eventually. While heaven remains empty, the present is filled with naked people and odd, twisted creatures full of lust and in search of pleasure, however amongst them are two owls located at the edges of the panel looking at the viewers. While owls are often associated with knowledge, possibly due to its depiction as the bird of the Goddess of knowledge (Athena or Minerva depending on which mythology), in the Renaissance times they have been symbolised as the denial of God’s salvation and moral death, reflecting how owls are nocturnal (i.e. the darkness). The use of animals for sins and punishments is also shown clearly in the panel of hell; twisted forms of birds (a variety of owl), toads and other sinners feasts upon the sinners and punishes them. The presence of musical instruments as torture devices, ‘Musical Hell’ as Museo del Prato says, is to reflect on how many people were absorbed into music in Renaissance periods. While heaven and the Earth takes time to understand its meaning, like how we have to always reflect on our actions, hell is very direct and grotesque to show the end. 

 The Buddhist cycle follows a similar format to ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, having the format of heaven, Earth (the Samsara cycle of life, death, rebirth of which rebirth brings them closer to heaven) and hell. The difference is that while the Earth in Bosch’s work has a definitive end– death will either lead to heaven and hell and nothing else in between– the Samsara will continue to repeat itself until the sins (karma) will be determined, with the contrast of the shape of the overall work differing as well; the Samsara, as it repeats itself, is depicted with a circle while Bosch is composed of defined rectangular panels as clear beginning and end shows. In relation to Earth however, I believe that this cycle is meeting its end quite quickly due to our actions affecting the natural cycle– the circle is starting to show its beginning and end points– and our karma is the cause. I believe that there are several relations to this Samsara and Bosch’s work especially in the modern context. 

References:

Bosch, H. (1490-1500) Garden of Earthly Delights [Online Image] Available at: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-garden-of-earthly-delights-triptych/02388242-6d6a-4e9e-a992-e1311eab3609 (Accessed: 18 January 2023)

Chin, J.M. (2017) “Under the Wing of a Creature of the Night", Wonders of Nature and Artifice, 15. Available at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/wonders_exhibit/

Simion, A. (2021) “Musical Instruments in Renaissance paintings,” Review of Artistic Education, 22(1), pp. 177–185. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2478/rae-2021-0022.

Smithsonian Magazine (2016) Even 500 years after his death, Hieronymus Bosch hasn't lost his appeal, Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/even-500-years-after-his-death-hieronymus-bosch-hasnt-lost-his-appeal-180958297/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).

Sotheby’s (no date) Hieronymus Bosch’s 'The Garden of Earthly Delights', A Journey from Heaven to Hell and Back, Sotheby’s. Available at: https://www.sothebys.com/en/videos/hieronymus-bosch-the-garden-of-earthly-delights (Accessed: January 31, 2023). 

Hieronymus Bosch (no date) British Museum. Available at: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG20333 (Accessed: January 31, 2023). 

Hieronymus Bosch (2023) National Gallery of Art. Available at: https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.986.html (Accessed: January 31, 2023).

 

Samsara (no date) Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/samsara (Accessed: January 31, 2023). 

The Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych (2023) Museo Nacional del Prado. Available at: https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-garden-of-earthly-delights-triptych/02388242-6d6a-4e9e-a992-e1311eab3609 (Accessed: January 31, 2023).

The Wheel of Life - Samsara (no date) Thangka Mandala. Available at: https://www.thangka-mandala.com/blog/the-wheel-of-life/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).