this guy is by far my favorite visual artist. i had that feeling from the first time that i saw one of his works. there is a psychedelic quality to his paintings that i can't get over... it just trips me out anyone else dig this stuff??
well, yes. He's the basics. Check out the roots of surrealism in his masterpiece. He portrayed himself into some of his pictures too. Very mysterious artist.
Part of the attraction of Bosch is that he is both medieval and yet modern at the same time. He is without doubt one of the great visionaries of European painting. When I look at his work - into his world - I am struck by both a quality of remoteness (the medievalism) and yet one of intimacy, as if one knows these worlds of the 'collective unconscious'. Many of the scenes, at first strange and unfamiliar, seem at the same time well known and commonplace. In Bosch's portrayals of hell, there is a logic akin to that of Dante. Albiet a somewhat grusome logic. Bosch is also a master observer of human nature- see for example the expressions on the faces of the figures either side of Christ in 'the Crowning with Thorns'. And from a purely painterly point of view, he must rank as one of the boldest and most successful of inovators in any period.
I cannot even express how much I love his work. I had never heard of him until I took a Renaissance Art History class last year and as soon as I saw his work, I fell in love with it. I was going to buy a really nice book of his work the other day, but I didn't have enough money.
I always wonder what made him so different. I mean he was doing art that was extremely visionary and revolutionary for his generation. So, what made him so creative? Was he doing some sort of drug? Did he have what modern scientists would call a mental illness? Was it just in his genes? hm...
I will always be intrigued by Bosch's art. In about 11th grade I had to do a term paper on him. Probably influenced me more than I know. and I'm trying to think of that other artist who was similar, either a protege of Bosch, or Bosch was his protege. I wish I still had that term paper. A very interesting subject, but it was a long long time ago.
My art teacher said that back in those days, there was this hallucinogenic fungus that grew in the grain sometimes, and that this might have had something to do with his imagery. Of course, there is no way to prove this.
The ergot fungus grew on rye grain. I've heard that theory too. Also in reference to the Salem witch trials.
that's right! thank you for reminding me. it was actually seeing Bruegel's work that got me into to Bosch's.
I did a google too after I started wondering and remembered Bruegels, but his work seemed so much more tame, so I wasn't sure. but you're right.
I'm also a great Bosch fan ! I really want to know what his inspiration was ... drugs ? drugs are not able to produce such creative energie ... and what kind of drugs should that have been ? ... belladonna ? ergot ? amanita ? ... near death experiances ? illness and fevers ? mental illness ( which is known to be the greatest batterie for creative energie ) ? the bible ? ... what ever it was what inspired him, and even if it was god himself , bosch is genius and one of my very favourite artists ...
Why does everyone think good artists are on drugs all the time? Maybe he just liked painting. Some of my favorites are The Tree Man, Creation of the World, and Beehive and Witches.
cuz it reminds some of us of those deeper psychedelic trances... worlds. realities.. whatever they are.
it sounds sad...but it's an ambition of mine to see some of bosch's work close up...seeing prints of it just isn't the same...it's the sort of thing you could just sit and look at for a week...and just study it completely...
