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BOSCH'S "GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS."
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Inspirational sources for imagery & symbolism in famous tryptych, critical views, alchemical aspects.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Inspirational sources for imagery & symbolism in famous tryptych, critical views, alchemical aspects.
Paper Introduction:
The Dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch (c. 1450 1516) was noted for his use of unusual symbols and imagery. This can be seen, for example, in his famous triptych the Garden of Earthly Delights, which is housed in the Prado Museum in Madrid. This paper will examine the inspirational sources for the imagery in this painting. In this way, an effort will be made to determine whether Bosch was influenced by religious, alchemical, or other types of symbols when he painted the work.
Some art historians have argued for a religious interpretation of the Garden of Earthly Delights. For example, Glum considers the work to be a scene depicting "divine judgment." According to Glum's view, the painting symbolizes the consequences of giving in to sensual pleasures, or sin. In this regard, the figures in the central panel are oblivious to the
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"Bosch's Garden of Delights Triptych: Remnants of a'Fossil' Science." Art Bulletin 63 (March 1981): 96-113.Gibson, Walter. Assuch, it may be claimed that this mixing of symbols resulted in the uniquestyle that is associated with the work of Bosch. As this paper has shown, there are many different ways in which theimages in the Garden of Earthly Delights may be interpreted. Many of Bosch's odd images, such as those in the Garden ofEarthly Delights, cannot be easily explained in terms of the religioustradition. Hieronymous Bosch. London: Methuen,1966.----------------------- 12 "Of Mice and Folly in 'The Garden of Delights.'" ArtForum 2 (November 1981): 7 -74.Combe, Jacques. Robert Erich Wolf, trans. Rather, because of their "organicveining," they resemble "an egg in the hatching, or a womb" (Ibid. In a somewhat religiousinterpretation of this idea, Combe notes that sensual "lust" distractspeople away from Heaven, and thus steers them toward Hell. Peter (who was crucified upside down),holding his hands over "the place where his genitalia have been cut off"(Calas 72-73). In this way, an effort will be made todetermine whether Bosch was influenced by religious, alchemical, or othertypes of symbols when he painted the work. Numerous images relating to the mixing vesselsof alchemists can also be found throughout the painting. Not all the experts on medieval art agree with the alchemicalinterpretation of Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights. Inthis regard, the figures in the central panel are oblivious to the factthat they will eventually end up in the hell of the right panel as a resultof their sensual behaviors. The third phase of alchemy was known as the"putrification" process, because it involved the use of fire for thedissolution of the elements. Furthermore, the actof plucking fruit [as seen in Bosch's painting] was used as "a euphemismfor the sexual act"). "Divine Judgment in Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights."Art Bulletin 58 (March 1976): 45-54.Linfert, Carl. In particular, Glum singles out the mice asbeing "common symbols of corruption, evil, and the devil" (Ibid. A major theme in the alchemical tradition which is reflected in theGarden of Earthly Delights is that the process of distillation iscomparable to "the cyclical creation, destruction, and rebirth of the worldand its inhabitants" (Ibid.). Gibson notes that sensual imagerywas a common theme in artworks of the medieval period which depicted a"Garden of Love" (Gibson 86). In Glum's view, thethorns and fruit which abound in the painting are all images pertaining tosin. For example, the strange combinationsof animals and plants in the left panel can be seen as symbolizing"alchemical cross-breeding, or transmutation from one state to another"(Ibid. This can be seen, for example, in hisfamous triptych the Garden of Earthly Delights, which is housed in thePrado Museum in Madrid. According to Glum, "this idea suits the apocalyptic spirit ofBosch's time; some of the veined eggs in the picture, and others with blacksharp points might thus be the eggs of Basiliscs" (Ibid. 1 ). Some of the figures in the painting even "turn away, hopeabandoned, from the very pleasure to which they had been clinging with suchpassion a moment earlier" (Tolnay 112). In the words of Tolnay,"his style was without influence in his time" (Tolnay 4 ). In the medieval religious conception, carnalsensuality was equivalent to sin. In any case, itis apparent that Bosch was making some kind of statement regarding thepursuit of sensual pleasures. Specifically, the pursuit of earthly desiresis shown to result in pain and suffering. Thus, Bosch's imagery of sensuality in his Garden of EarthlyDelights can be seen as a depiction of the common medieval theme of "afalse paradise whose transient beauty leads men to ruin and damnation"(Gibson 87). Linfert hassuggested that some of the nightmarish images in the Garden are dream-likeand are therefore reflections of Bosch's own subconscious mind (Linfert 3 - Linfert even claims that Bosch's dream-like images anticipated the risein the twentieth century of psychoanalytic techniques). For example, Gibson sees the symbols in Bosch's workas being fundamentally erotic in nature. It was felt that the knowledge pertaining to this quest would bedangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1973.Glum, Peter. Thesignificance of these egg images is increased by the fact that "alchemicalegg vessels, like real eggs, were considered microcosms of the worldcontaining all the qualities of life" (Dixon 1 6). Thisis symbolized by the central panel in Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights,which shows that the marriage of Adam and Eve has resulted in a worldteeming with people. Since Boschlived in a transitional era, it seems appropriate to interpret his Gardenof Earthly Delights as a merging of both religious and secular images. 49). 1 3). 1 8). Dixon also notes that the nudity of the figures in thepainting, in addition to having sexual connotations, "symbolizes thecleanliness required for the mixing of materials" (Ibid.). In addition, Gibson claims that the paintingwas inspired by the erotic symbolism contained in "the popular songs,sayings and slang expressions of Bosch's time" (Ibid. Works CitedCalas, Nicholas. Tolnay has moresimply described the Garden as a picture of "the ever-changing and never-certain way of the world" (Tolnay 1 4 - This conception of the Garden asa world image is enhanced when the panels are closed and thus reveal apainting of the earth floating within a transparent globe). These includefountains, glass globes, corals, shells, and a hollow gourd, all of whichCombe describes as being "allusions to the alchemist's 'bridal chamber'(Combe 37)." The image of the egg, which also occurs throughout Bosch'swork, provides yet another symbol of the alchemist's mixing vessel. Manyalchemists were involved in a quest for the "elixir of life," a mysticalsubstance which had the power to cure any illness and to provide eternalyouth. In addition, the flames within the eggman's stomachprovide an alchemical image of cooking or digestion, both of which wereprocesses involving "the level of heat required for putrification" (Ibid.52). Because ofthis, it is difficult for contemporary writers to know for certain whetherthe inspirational sources for the painting derive from the alchemical orreligious tradition, or if the images simply arose out of Bosch'ssubconscious mind. 99). 52). Glum interprets this as meaning: "Man damnshimself by his own bad deeds, which in blind folly he considers beautifulpleasures" (Glum 45). This idea is expressed in the right panel ofBosch's work, which shows Hell and thus symbolizes the world after death.The final operation in alchemy was the purification of the elements inorder to create a new, transcendental substance. One very common interpretation of the painting, which has religiousovertones, is that it represents the temptations of sensuality and itsresultant suffering. This question is difficult to answer because Bosch wasnot clearly connected to any artistic tradition. 31). This was because alchemy was largelyconcerned with a mysterious process known as transmutation, a subject whichthe alchemists wished to keep secret from the average person. Paris: Pierre Risnes, 1957. Today, alchemy isan arcane belief system which is associated with occult practices.However, in the fifteenth century, it was a living philosophy thatencompassed all of the known scientific knowledge of the time. However, Glum also claims that many of Bosch's images were obtainedfrom the Bible as well as the other popular religious texts of the period(Ibid. The many birds in the painting provide symbols for theairborne gasses which are produced during alchemical processes. The first part was symbolically referred toas the "marriage of opposites," because it involved the merging of contraryelements within a single vessel. Dixon has argued that alchemical influences provided theinspiration for Bosch's use of imagery in the painting. Perhaps the most important image in the painting isthat of the fountain in the middle of the central panel. As Combe points out, these figures have thegeneral appearance of "sleep-walkers or persons hypnotized" (Combe 37).Tolnay notes that the facial expressions on these people indicate feelingsof dissatisfaction or numbness. In addition, Combeconsiders the bagpipes on the eggman's head to be a symbol of carnal love,in contrast to the nearby lute and harp which "Biblical traditionconsecrates to the praises of the Lord" (Ibid. Thus, in Bosch's day, alchemical writingsconsisted of "mixed old and new elements and a confusing conglomeratesymbolism culled from many centuries' work"). Laurinda S. It may further be noted that the peopleindulging in "earthly delights" in the central panel do not appear veryhappy in their pursuits. In addition,the act of riding itself was, in medieval art, "commonly employed as ametaphor for the sexual act."). 3], Calas has likewiseinterpreted one of the mice in the painting as being a symbol of Judas).In rebuttal to Dixon's claims, Glum has stated that the glass globes in thepainting are not alchemical vessels. Although it is widely agreed that religious elements exist in much ofBosch's imagery, at the same time, other influences are also evident.Linfert claims that Bosch "transformed" his religious icons in order tocreate a unique, personal language "which he used to express a view of theworld" (Linfert 12). Hieronymous Bosch. Many criticssee this idea as being represented in the right panel of Bosch's painting,where "the very objects that had been instruments of sin have becomegigantic instruments of punishment" (Linfert 32). In fact, itwas "the practical, legitimate science of distillation, whose laboratoryprocedures form the basis of modern chemistry" (Dixon 98). In interpreting Bosch's images,it is important to bear in mind that the goal of alchemy was religious inits essence. Combe has claimed that the top of the eggman's head showsdevils "hustling sinners round and round" (Combe 38). Alchemical Imagery in Bosch's Garden of Delights.Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1981.Dixon, Laurinda S. The second part of the alchemical workinvolved mixing the elements into "a balanced, whole body" (Ibid.). This is clearly a sexual metaphor in which the womencan be seen as enticing the men into conducting a sensual dance around them(Ibid. This is true because "the arts ofmetamorphosis, ecstatic transport, and delight are all part of the themehere, whether it is interpreted as an admonition against sin or asvoluntary abandonment to it" (Ibid. For the most part, the symbols in alchemy were extremelycomplex and difficult to understand. Bosch couldhave easily been influenced by alchemical writings because thousands ofbooks and documents on the topic existed during his time. This stage is symbolizedon the exterior of Bosch's triptych, with a circular globe which designatescompletion. 86 - This image is enhanced by the traditional symbolism ofanimals as representing the "bestial" nature of humankind. As such, the pleasures of the senses areshown as being co-existent with the ominous threat of death anddestruction. The figuresstanding on their heads reflect the joy of successfully completing thealchemical work. Dixon points out various other alchemical images which can be foundin the Garden of Earthly Delights. This fountain hasreceived various interpretations, including that of Gibson, who notes theoccurrence of similar fountains in other "Garden of Love" paintings of theperiod. Dixon,Laurinda S. In this regard, the purpose of alchemy was to use the sensesin order to transmute reality and thereby attain unity with God (Dixon111). In Bosch's work, several nude women are bathing in the circularpond. 53).Glum has also provided a religious, as opposed to an alchemical,perspective on the numerous egg images scattered throughout the painting.In this regard, he cites St. Despite this emphasis on eroticism and sensuality, however, it isapparent that the overall message of Bosch's painting is that indulgence insensual pleasure has a price. 53; Calas71 & 73 - As noted earlier in this paper [fn. - Combe also notes thatsome of the victims of Hell are "crucified" on these musical instruments,thereby providing "a symbol of the anguish of remorse"). Thesolitary owl in the Fountain of Life may symbolize the scholarly work ofthe alchemist (Dixon 72). This image clearly reflects themedieval perspective that sensuality leads to sin, which in turn leads tosuffering. A large group of nude men circle the women while riding on the backsof various animals. An example of this isthe phallic knife which protrudes from the pair of ears in the Hell panel.Linfert notes various other examples in which images of sensual desire areconnected to images of their "evil consequences." Thus, for example, "thealoe bites into naked flesh, the coral holds bodies fast, and the shellcloses upon them" (Ibid. This paper will examine the inspirational sourcesfor the imagery in this painting. For example,Calas has described the man carrying a mussel in the central panel as "aparody of Christ bearing the cross" and the upside-down man in the waterbehind him as an image of St. NewYork: Harry N. In addition, Glum believes that the animals and birds in the work areall symbols of the devil. For example, Glum considers the work to be ascene depicting "divine judgment." According to Glum's view, the paintingsymbolizes the consequences of giving in to sensual pleasures, or sin. In this regard, the work of the alchemistconsisted of four basic parts. Dixon describes this as aresurrection of sorts, with the final result being union with God and areturn to the beginning of the cycle (Ibid. Hieronymous Bosch. Glum hasconstrued Bosch's painting as being a depiction of the final judgment, andhas claimed that the figures arising from behind a glass in the right panelrepresent Adam and Eve and the Biblical patriarchs, appearing "beyond time"to "find the world still sinning, unprepared for judgment despite Christ'steaching" (Glum 35 - Glum also compares the glass in this image to theHoly Chalice which is symbolic of Christ's salvation). Therefore, there is a need for alternative explanationsregarding Bosch's inspirational sources in creating that work. The most notable eggimage in the painting is that of the "eggman," who can be seen standing inthe Hell panel. As such, it was presumed that a sensualperson would eventually end up spending an eternity in Hell. In Combe'swords, the main subject of Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights is "carnallove, lust which misleads man, distracting him from the pursuit of hissoul's welfare" (Combe 34). Of course, the overall structure of the work, with itsdepiction of Heaven and Hell on either side of Earth, yields itself to thistype of religious interpretation. Hieronymous Bosch. As a result, "through thecenturies, alchemists had devised a secret symbolic code language, a largepart of which was pictorial, for the purpose of hiding their theories fromignorant, unworthy, hostile, or competitive eyes" (Ibid - Another reasonfor the complexity of alchemical imagery is that the symbols graduallychanged over the course of time. 82 - Certain oldDutch proverbs use fruit and fish as erotic symbols. Many writers haveseen religious imagery as the dominant element in the work. In addition,Bosch's wife had an apothecary (pharmacist or chemist) in her family, and"alchemy is directly related to pharmacy" (Ibid.). The Dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch (c. Calas agrees that Bosch's primary influences were religious.Using the symbolic writings of such religious philosophers as Augustine andGregory, Calas arrives at many complex Biblical interpretations for thefigures and actions in the Garden of Earthly Delights (Calas 71 - Forexample, Calas uses some of Augustine's characterizations in order toequate the "Diabolical mouse" in Hell to the traitorous disciple Judas).Other writers have also found religious meaning in the imagery of Bosch'spainting (Methuen 4 - Many of these writers have linked this imagery tothe Biblical idea of an Apocalypse, or Second Coming, thereby reflectingwhat Tolnay calls the medieval age's "dread of an impending finalcataclysm"). Some art historians have argued for a religious interpretation of theGarden of Earthly Delights. Hildegard, who once claimed that a basilisc, aserpent-like creature associated with the Antichrist, could be hatched froma hen's egg. Glum notes that many of Bosch's pictorialinspirations were derived from the secular parables and folk tales of histime. In Bosch's painting, this process isrepresented by the left panel, which shows Adam and Eve being joinedtogether in the Garden of Eden. 145 -1516) was noted for hisuse of unusual symbols and imagery. The black, white and red colors of this figure represent"the three tinctures which mark the successive changes in the alchemicalprocess" (Dixon 49). Dixon further notesthat the images in alchemical texts were very similar to those in Bosch'spaintings. Abrams, 1971.Tolnay, Charles de. In both cases, the images "show a blend of fantasy and reality,a merging of bizarre allegorical images with lucid diagrams of apparatus"(Ibid. It is also important to bear in mind that Bosch's time was a periodof great change in Europe, when the Church was losing its stronghold overthe people and the ideas of humanism were gaining popularity. Tolnay has likewise indicated that Bosch "had a mostsubtle understanding of how to shatter the pictorial vocabulary of his ageand then to infuse his pictures with revolutionary content and form"(Tolnay 4 ).
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