A painting goes through the world
“The Garden of Earthly Delights” is a mysterious triptych oil painting that has still been discussed and debated ever 500 years after the death of its painter, Hieronymus Bosch. The painting illustrates a lot of grotesque, weird-shaped creatures in detail; therefore, many scholars have wondered whether it was a product of creative imagination or a result of a troubled mind and hallucination.
The painting can be differentiated into three parts. The scene of God introducing Eve to Adam in the Garden of Eden is painted on the left panel. On the right panel, there is an image of punishment and the suffering of hell. The most complex scene is set on the central panel, which shows a myriad of naked people and people riding bare-backed on beautiful creatures, giant strawberries, pointed buildings, and so forth. Since there is little known about Hieronymus Bosch, the meaning and purpose of the painting have been interpreted in many ways. In addition, the date of its creation is unknown as Bosch didn’t date his paintings, which makes it difficult for scholars to debunk the purpose of this painting. However, it has been estimated to have been created around 1510–1515.
Some interpret “The Garden of Earthly Delights” as the painting of sexual freedom, a medieval acid trip, or a heretical attack on the church. However, Bosch is known, in the modern age, as an immensely original painter with deep insight into humanity’s desires, lusts, and fears. Therefore, some think that it is about warning about the punishments resulting from the people who indulge themselves. Payne describes the painting as a ‘pure and simple, hardcore Christianity.’ He also considers that it is ‘an intensely moralistic work that should be approached as what it is: religious propaganda’ (www.youtube.com. n.d.). Jonathan Jones (2018) argues that the painting is about a Renaissance-era curiosity that helped see the world better. Shooke (2016) states that the work is probably the most famous underworld scene in all Western art.
What fascinates us is the delicacy and colourfulness of the painting, containing a lot of unknown details full of weird-shaped creatures that make us wonder and explore a myriad of possibilities the painting might contain.
Reference:
Jones, J. (2018). Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights shows a world waking up to the future | Jonathan Jones. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2017/jan/10/bosch-garden-of-earthly-delights-shows-a-world-waking-up-to-the-future.
Sooke, A. (2016). The ultimate vision of hell. [online] www.bbc.com. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20160219-the-ultimate-images-of-hell [Accessed 10 Feb. 2022].
www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights (Full Length): Great Art Explained. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBG621XEegk&t=244s&ab_channel=GreatArtExplained [Accessed 12 Feb. 2022].
