Hieronymus Bosch: Garden of Earthly Delights (Art & Design)
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Hieronymus Bosch: Garden of Earthly Delights (Art & Design) Details
From Library Journal Although Hieronymus Bosch's triptych painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights, has fascinated viewers for centuries, commentators have been perplexed about its intended meaning. In this book, German art historian Belting (Thomas Struth) argues persuasively for an interpretation of the enigmatic central panel as a representation of the earthly paradise that would have existed if Adam and Eve's fall had never taken place. Belting's book is more philosophical and less comprehensive than Jos Koldeweij and others' recent Hieronymus Bosch: The Complete Paintings and Drawings, and Belting's discussion of the religious and cultural context of Bosch's art sometimes strays so far from the art itself that it is hard to see the connection. This book is valuable, however, for its novel view of a much-discussed painting. A large foldout reproduction of the triptych and many close-up views and reproductions of several related works add to the book's value. Recommended for scholarly and specialized collections.Kathryn Wekselman, Cincinnati, OH Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more Review " An excellent introduction to this artist and one of his masterpieces." -- The Wall Street Journal Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
You know, maybe some things happen for a reason, even if we don't know what that reason is.The day I ordered this book, there just happened to be a story on CNN that night, talking about a new 'discovery' in the Garden of Earthly Delights painting. Apparently, a group of college kids were sitting around, pondering the piece---probably a poster---when one of them noticed musical notes across the nude buttocks of one of the men in the painting. She wrote down the notes, put it to music, and the art world was amazed that she cued into this little nugget that no one else had seen or thought of.I first saw this painting at the Prado in Madrid. I had never heard of it, but I struggled to get a glimpse, as there were hoards of people surrounding it. I couldn't really take it all in, and it wasn't until last year---when we went back to Spain---that I saw it up-close and uninterrupted. Sadly, tourism was down in Spain last year, but it meant we could get close to a lot of popular paintings without obstruction, this being one of them.I love this book. It always fascinates me when a whole book can be written about one piece of art. I mean, really, how many examples are there (e.g., Mona Lisa, Guernica, Las Meninas, Girl with a Pearl Earring, American Gothic ...). This book is compact----only 125 pages---but the author put a lot into it. The reproductions are great! You can even see the crackling of the paint.The book is part detective story, part history, and part analysis. The author tells us what we know about Hieronymus Bosch, but a lot of the story is trying to piece things together, looking for clues and trying to find what makes the most sense. I won't tell you about the general findings, but it's a fascinating piece of work. At the end, the book comes full circle, reminding us about what we do and don't know about this artist and this painting.Especially if you don't know a lot about art, this book gives you somewhat of a framework for how to think about the interplay between the artist, the canvas, and the dominant themes of a culture at any given time.Anyhow, the book is a gem. Especially if you've seen the painting, you have to read this book, as it ties things together in a way I've never seen before.