On the threshold from the late Middle Ages to modern times, the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch is a unique shape. In his pictures appear monsters and devil on, grimaces and animalisierte hybrid creatures, witches, tree people, bird people, vicious-ambivalent lizards and toads, owls and insects, dragons and unicorns.
Only slightly follows the established Christian symbolism and iconography; it’s a whole new universe, which arises here, a surreal world of fear and pain, sexual seduction and sin, the bursting organisms and aggression. Although all these representations are preachy meant there are cautionary example on our pilgrimage towards death; But Bosch must have had a very watchful unconscious, a sixth sense for danger of people (and perhaps for his own). Christianity, which is to be redeemed but seems irretrievably lost to him
findings of the “Bosch Research and Conservation Project”
There are now 500. At Bosch’s death two exhibitions -. A already played in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and the Prado in Madrid. The published in Belser-Verlag catalog sums up the exhibition in Bosch’s hometown Den Bosch with scientific precision; Prado now come those works which will unable to travel, especially the “Garden of Earthly Delights”, this most famous of all Bosch triptychs.
The entire exhibition companies based on the research work of the ” Bosch Research and Conservation Project “that his collected since 2010 findings now in a large-scale” has published catalog raisonné “. It is a brave stone heavy, expensive book – from the color and print quality – great pictures; as meticulously are the comments that thoroughly interpret each work and research provenance and authority.
examine the painting process with infrared
In addition, about 50 Hieronymus Bosch ascribed paintings and drawings were based on Museums around the world are distributed, studied with the latest technology; the results are documented in the book.
“If you can make one infrared image of a painting, it’s so that you can look into the painting process, in the artistic development of a visual idea, it can be reconstructed. And the is of course a very exciting thing, “says Jochen Sander, currently interim director of the Städel in Frankfurt and a member of the scientific committee that accompanied the research project. It is not just about matters of composition, but also the economy. At Bosch’s times was virtually any marketable artist workshop manager with apprentices and journeymen who implemented the pictorial ideas of the Chief:
“An artist of the caliber of Hieronymus Bosch, who paints a painting such as the Garden of Delights, or as the great Anthony’s temptation when the certain image objects, and formal solutions (searches) – a reflection on a shiny surface, or the way he represents smoke, or as he modeled a face … these are things that he once develop, and if he dominates, then this is not a question of whether he can on one day and the other not, but he has it, that is in the repertoire included. “
” workshop “or “successor”: results of infrared search
Bosch figures vary between caricature and naturalism; especially in the works with a lot of staff in the picture, it is obvious that even cliches and imported typifications be used. And Bosch not only painted himself, he also paint. When can we ascribe a work as “hand” Master, when not? When it is to be classified as “service” or “successor”? Today’s authenticity criteria help because not much further, says Jochen Sander:
we would “ask for an actual autographs version, that would be our present question-interest, or we ask out of time Time. say, a picture or a sculpture that comes from an artist’s workshop, where the workshop manager has approved it as a product, was considered his work. ” but
The infrared search of researchers have consequences. Because with them subsurface layers of paint can be made visible, preparatory drawings, which show other hands might. And through meticulous comparison not only the craft but above all the intellectual design of the works can be reasonably plausible clarify what is by hand and what is not, says Jochen Sander.
gave in classifying the “catalog raisonné” there are some surprises: the Prado belonging “Seven Deadly Sins” were classified as “workshop or successor”, as a variant of “temptation of St. Anthony”, which has also the Prado. The museum was clearly unhappy and held its own expertise against. The problem of the “catalog raisonné” of course, in all solidity of presentation and analysis that even recent research also always be able to provide other estimates again. This can also be the authors of the now current Bosch catalog happen.
Hieronymus Bosch came from a family of painters, who came from Aachen. Thanks to a rich marriage, he belonged to the elite of Den Bosch and recorded soon with “Bosch”, so that clients know where they had to call. And he was a member of the influential Lady Brotherhood, which gave him contacts with wealthy aristocrats.
The world’s first analysis of the work in a methodology
The “Garden of Earthly Delights”, this trip of paradise a teeming with bodies Sodom and Gomorrah in the apocalyptic glowing hell was issued after Bosch’s death in the Brussels Palace of Count of Nassau – in form a triptych, an altarpiece, but in no way meant as such. It hung next mythological scenes and still lifes in the Collection
“The Count opened for visitors, his peers, wealthy citizens, passing travelers, diplomats It belonged to the social games and sports and say.. This is reminiscent of a but altarpiece is none. Or this looks like a fall, but there are picture elements in it that do not meet the fall. ”
In the “catalog raisonné” of drawing dedicated about a third of the space – it is the medium through attempts his nightmares in the Bosch. And even if the picture is painted, he spins his vision later in the drawing. But the images are first time durchanalysiert world in a methodology that actually allows comparisons, says Jochen Sander:
“This same type examination as possible of all works under the same conditions which now offers Bosch first time a real, immediate comparability , very banal, if you have been placed side by side a radiograph from Frankfurt and New York. Because then you did not know absolutely, the conditions under which these pictures were taken. “
catalog shows development of religious representation to surreal nightmares
Hieronymus Bosch has no tradition: his pictorial worlds are his very own invention. But he had imitators. Workshop comrades, remained unknown adepts who may also recorded with his name. Therefore, now the excitement. The catalog raisonné but shows mainly as Bosch already early from the purely religious representations out works in a world surreal acting nightmares. Stylistically the figures will soon be harder and plastic, the overall composition gets a stage-like perspective.
As Bosch came to his visions, remains unclear. There is no evidence that he has ever traveled and studied contemporaries. But perhaps precisely this splendid isolation in small s’Hertogenbosch cause of the sinking in an inner world of horror and pain. Ships transform into animals, body gape open and spit fire, bird heads devour people.
Despite all controversy, the there will be a few assessments of the “Bosch Research and Conservation Projects” yet, is the “Catalogue Raisonné “a groundbreaking publication that put the state of research on Bosch artis and also yet referenced in bibliophile presentation. The images are just the magnifying details, terrific. Whoever wants to delve with Hieronymus Bosch, be encouraged to invest here once money. For the first overview of the exhibition catalog is enough – he also has worked highly reputable
“Hieronymus Bosch: Visions of a genius.”
Belser Verlag Stuttgart. 191 pages, 24.99 euros
“catalog raisonné: Hieronymus Bosch – painting and drawing.”.
Bosch Research and Conservation Project
Belser Verlag. , 607 pages, 99.00 euros.
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