Jérôme Bosch. L'œuvre complet. 45th Ed. (45th Edition)

by Stefan Fischer, Taschen (Editor)

Delicious demons: Deciphering allegories in the complex, fantastical works of Hieronymus Bosch
  In the midst of the realist-leaning artistic climate of the Late Gothic and Early Renaissance, Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450–1516) was more than an anomaly. Bosch’s paintings are populated with grotesque scenes of fantastical creatures succumbing to all manner of human desire, fantasy, and angst. One of his greatest inventions was to take the figural and scenic representations known as drolleries, which use the monstrous and the grotesque to illustrate sin and evil, and to transfer them from the marginalia of illuminated manuscripts into large-format panel paintings. Alongside traditional hybrids of man and beast, such as centaurs, and mythological creatures such as unicorns, devils, dragons, and griffins, we also encounter countless mixed creatures freely invented by the artist. Many subsidiary scenes illustrate proverbs and figures of speech in common use in Bosch’s day. In his Temptation of St Anthony triptych, for example, the artist shows a messenger devil wearing ice skates, evoking the popular expression that the world was “skating on ice”—meaning it had gone astray. In his pictorial translation of proverbs, in particular, Bosch was very much an innovator.

Bosch—whose real name was Jheronimus van Aken—was widely copied and imitated: the number of surviving works by Bosch’s followers exceeds the master’s own production by more than tenfold. Today only 20 paintings and eight drawings are confidently assigned to Bosch’s oeuvre. He continues to be seen as a visionary, a portrayer of dreams and nightmares, and the painter par excellence of hell and its demons. 

Featuring brand new photography of recently restored paintings, this exhaustive book, published in view of the upcoming 500th anniversary of Bosch’s death, covers the artist’s complete works. Discover Bosch’s pictorial inventions in splendid reproductions with copious details and a huge fold-out spread, over 110 cm (43 in.) long, of The Garden of Earthly Delights. Art historian and acknowledged Bosch expert Stefan Fischer examines just what it was about Bosch and his painting that proved so immensely influential.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, History, Biography, Medieval, Religion

512 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you could invite anyone in the world, living or dead, to a dinner of, say, a dozen people, who would you include?

Someone asked me this recently and when I said Hieronymus Bosch they asked me who he was. I tutted and shook my head. I then told them to google his name and find out for themselves. Not a man to be missed.

Bosch clearly had an extremely creative mind. In artistic terms, he is an anomaly. There was nobody who painted quite like him before he started and there was nobody in his own era that followed his style.

My case in point for the general weirdness of his work:







Modern viewers of his work will never quite feel the same level of revulsion as people in the renaissance did. We are desensitized to such representations. Horror movies and comic books have taken away some of the effect. We can literally type anything we want into a search engine (no matter how gruesome) and we will find it out there. Imagine seeing Bosch’s work for the first time when you have never seen anything fantastical. Imagine seeing these pieces when you’ve never even read a word.

That being said though, this is still extremely bizarre stuff even by today’s standards. I find the colouring so strange and the fixation with death somewhat disconcerting. What did Bosch dream about? Where did he get these ideas?

I have only three words to describe Bosch: Haunting, Brutal and Beautiful. I'd love to have a chat with him.

[E. G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction: Perspectives on Bosch

--I. Family origins and first works 1474-1487
--II. Social and artistic ascent 1488-1501
--III. In the labyrinth of images: The Temptation of St Anthony c. 1502
--IV. Nuptial art: The Garden of Earthly Delights c. 1503
--V. Art for the king: The Last Judgement c. 1506
--VI. Exemplum docet: Late works 1504-1516

--Epilogue: An enigmatic bequest

--Catalogue of paintings
--Catalogue of drawings

Documentary sources on Bosch's life and work
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Photo credits
Imprint

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

В края на 15 век в малкото, благоденстващо и силно религиозно градче Хертогенбош (в днешна Нидерландия) започва да твори един от най-самобитните, иновативни и въздействащи художници - Йеронимус ван Акен, наричан Бош, трето поколение художник. Пищното му творчество е пълната антитеза на набиращите сили хуманизъм и ренесанс.

Кратките определения не подхождат на сложната символика на Бош, но лично аз бих се задоволила донякъде с “Поет на ада”. Бош назидава зрителя в типичния за времето си морализаторско-дидактичен религиозен символизъм за капаните на този греховен свят, които водят право в ада. Но на Бош просто му личи как обожава да рисува всеки мъничък смразяващ или втрещяващ детайл и да го добавя грижливо към струпаната вече кама̀ра, докато зрителя го заболи глава и започне да страда истински само от невъобразимото количество алегории и сюжети на платното или триптиха. Междувременно Адът с неговите наказания и обитатели са превърнати в невъобразима феерия от чудовищни или просто загадъчни органично-неорганични, хибридни, абсурдни, флуидно преливащи, несъвместими и противоречащи си форми.

Бош определено е мразел светската музика (в неговата трактовка на музикалните инструменти свирят само дяволите), жените (не ми се влиза в подробности като какви страшни грешници и гробокопачки на човечеството, съставено от мъже, ги изобразява) и животните (такива интересни дяволи, съставени от преливащи сегменти на предмети, хора, риби, насекоми и животни, рядко се виждат). Какъв великолепен сюрреалист би излязло от Бош, ако беше творил през 20-ти век! А какъв създател на хорър, научнофантастични и фентъзи светове би бил днес.

Но силната омраза, както и силната любов, е факел и не оставя никого безразличен. У Бош има много своеобразна поезия - мятаща се между епоса и гротеската, като в крайна сметка гравитира около причудливото и сюрреалистичното като приносител на посланията си (част от които си остават загадка за изкуствоведите и до днес).

———————————————————————————
Типична “органична” “скулптура” на Бош:



Малко демони и страхотийки:





И малко мистика:

[Manny]

Hieronymus Bosch fans may be amused by my recent interaction with OpenAI's DALL-E-3. I had just submitted a failed request and found this in the system log:

Sept. 23, 2024, 5:25 a.m. - --- Sending request to dall-e-3 (size=1024x1024): "An image of Hester, a cute little girl cat with bright green eyes and a fluffy tail, Lily, a cheerful girl of about nine, and Hector, a big tom-cat with a mischievous grin. In the style of Hieronymus Bosch."

Sept. 23, 2024, 5:25 a.m. - Exception: Error code: 400 - {'error': {'code': 'content_policy_violation', 'message': 'Your request was rejected as a result of our safety system. Your prompt may contain text that is not allowed by our safety system.', 'param': None, 'type': 'invalid_request_error'}}

Sept. 23, 2024, 5:25 a.m. - error

Well, it's hard not to believe that the words the safety filter is reacting to are "Hieronymus Bosch". That was certainly my first thought, anyway. But a little experimentation showed I was wrong. They were "tom-cat".

[XenofoneX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given the ever-developing fascination for Bosch and his supremely imaginative works of cryptic symbolism, a new, deluxe edition dedicated to the mysterious man and his paintings is a welcome addition to the other volumes that have been published in recent years. The best of these, by Larry Silver and published by Abbeville Press, is a beautifully produced examination of Boschs' work in a wider context, and is the first volume of two, the second of which is dedicated to his equally gifted artistic successor, Pieter Bruegel. This new book, published by Taschen, avoids some of the cost-cutting material choices that the publisher occasionally makes in favor of a massive catalogue raisonne that includes some of the best high-resolution photography of details since the excellent 'Van Eyck In Detail', released by Abrams and Ludion. The paper is of the highest quality, a heavy and glossy archival stock ideal for art reproductions. As well, there are gatefolds of key works, including a complicated foldout of 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' that mimics its folding wings and predella, expanding far beyond the height and width of the already impressive dimensions of the open book. The size might be daunting for some; at 12"wide x 16"tall, 300+ pages long, and well over 10lbs, it's one of the larger books on the market; personally, I love over-sized books. Stefan Fischers' scholarly but accessible writing is narrower in scope than Larry Silvers' two-volume, 900 page magnum opus on the Flemish masters of the Northern Renaissance, but that is by no means a bad thing. Taschens' approach to Hieronymus Bosch offers a different take that is just as worthy of a spot on the bookshelf as the Abbeville Press edition. It also ships with a carrying case, designed in a manner similar to the cover, complete with a little plastic handle so you can carry it around like a briefcase.

[Gastjäle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A priceless catalogue companion for any lover of Bosch—quite possibly my favourite painter of all time. (The only downsides to the book are that the non-catalogue pictures are in a somewhat nonsensical order and that some of the pictures are spread on a whole opening, meaning that some details are very difficult to enjoy as they are too close to the gutter.)

[Gonzalo FJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una maravilla. Por la calidad del texto, por la sublime calidad de las impresiones, y por su inesperado bajo precio.

[Basilisk · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the age of three, little me toddled to the edge of another world. It was a mighty volume on Bosch, and in truth, it was my first book to contemplate. I fell into it and it fell into me, and every crack, cranny or crevice of my soul was imbued with its visions; Owls and crows, crawly things of every kind, knights, saints, beggars, above them truth-announcing-trumpets within angelic effulgence, and to the south a land of congealed darkness populated with legions of back-stabbers, madmen, and demons. Oh, my Bosch! Ever since, I aspire by his heavens and render judgment by his hell, but at my heart, just like in an earthly panel of his, I am watchful not to forget the incurable condition of my humanity.

Alpha and Omega! A thousand years later, we now arrive at the current edition by Taschen. It feels like returning to my birthplace: The gallows are still standing, the peddler gives me the same frown as always, and the dog with the spiky collar is ever more furious at me. I am greeted by a throng of old friends and a great feast commences for the next 300 pages. I find this book most excellent. There is much to behold and there is much to learn. Even an amateur scholar of the subject like me, could still find something new. Therefore, from the spire of my position, of an admirer, of a follower, a medieval man in spirit, I proclaim this book worthy!

[Bob Gustafson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous. Other authors have written more exhaustive books about Bosch's life. Other authors have written more detailed books about individual works. Other authors have written books about the era, or about Roman Catholicism, or about other pertinent topics. Fischer gleans the best from these books, puts it with pictures of the works of Bosch, with full-scale segments of the works, with pictures of the works of other artists relevant to the text and presents it in one volume. Of course there is a bibliography so that you can go to Fischer's sources for more detail if desired.

You will want to read this with at least two bookmarks, because you are constantly going from place to place within the volume. You will probably want to read it with Wikipedia open for more in depth information about people and places that the author mentions. When you are finished reading this book, you will want to leave it on the coffee table as a conversation piece when friends come to visit.

Go out, or get on line, and buy this book!

[Steffi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So viel Bosch, in so guter Qualität, zu so günstigem Preis war noch nie. Selbst dass es sich um ein klassisches Buchformat (und nicht Bildbandformat) handelt, stört mich hier nicht.
Fast im Gegenteil: Der Bosch für den Urlaubskoffer!

[raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book not only increased my love for Bosch, but for art in general. i really enjoyed taking my time with this book, losing myself in the interesting facts and details.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome coffee table book that is worth the money and the weight like the Caravaggio one - had it for a while too but finished it only recently (in so far one can say a book like this which is to be admired from time to time is finished to be read) in tandem with the historical stuff I have been reading for the past few months

[Noah Goats · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thick, heavy, glossy art book with lots of great reproductions of Bosch's work. Bosch's large paintings are broken down into detail sized images so you can scrutinize them inch by inch. The art itself is weirdly beautiful. As the book's text points out, Bosch was a painter who straddled the middle ages and the renaissance. He was able to apply the new techniques in painting to the kinds of images that arise out of the medieval imagination and create works that are hauntingly bizarre. Stefan Fischer does a good job of explaining the context and the symbolism to help make the work intelligible.

[Chris Merola · Rating 3 out of 5]

No disrespect to Bosch, but a book of this size just isn't the best way to consume his work. I was squinting hard the whole way through.

The art historian essays in here are relatively interesting, if repetitive, but that has more to do with Bosch's consistently didactic subject matter than any failing on their part. I did learn how to interpret certain animals and depicted behaviors given 15th/16th century context, which was pretty cool.

[la poesie a fleur de peau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta breve leitura não fecha o livro, antes o abre. Tenho o privilégio de contemplar, várias vezes ao ano, As Tentações de Santo Antão ao vivo, e quando visitei o Prado, ao saber que não podia fotografar os quadros, fiquei parada diante d'O Jardim das Delícias Terrenas durante minutos. Acho que nunca contemplei tão detidamente um quadro (minto: arrastei-me pelas Pinturas Negras do Goya, foi a sala onde me demorei mais) e ainda hoje guardo memórias desse primeiro encontro.

[Babi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muy histórico.......

[Wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent overview and it incorporates recent researches that will give the reader a very comprehensive understanding of who Bosch really was and what genre his works should situate. The reproductions are of high quality. Every painting is an enlightening spiritual journey. Details of the pictures are explained and deciphered convincingly. A must for all Bosch lovers. Five stars.

[Kristian-Alberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book. Dr. Fischer successfully introduces the reader to the socio-cultural background of Bosch and skillfully explains the iconography, symbolism and innovations employed by the master painter. I most admit that I was taken aback by many of the compositions and sheer scope of Bosch's imagination. Quite truly fascinating. While the triptychs are what made this genius famous — and rightly so, for they are impressive — I was personally moved by Bosch's interpretation of the 'Christ Mocked'. I can't forget the Savoiur's facial expression. Paradoxically, Christ's face seems profoundly tormented by his mocking, eminent torture and death, while at the same time he seems to be smiling and radiating divine wisdom, as if saying; "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing." Luke 23:34.
Having said this, I would like to note that the book does have a few drawbacks. It is narrow in scope and barely discusses disputed works or workshop pieces, and finally many of the most important paintings are shown across two full page. I understand why one would want the biggest possible rendition of the paintings, unfortunately, that means that it is very difficult to appreciate many if the details in the middle of the paintings, because they are caught up fisically between two pages, for this reason I would recommend to rearrange the layout of the paintings in the book.

[Valentina Zunino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il libro presenta una panoramica esaustiva del percorso artistico di Bosch, con riferimenti alle probabili fonti di ispirazione e un'analisi dettagliata della simbologia. In appendice c'è anche un catalogo delle opere note sia del pittore che dei suoi apprendisti/epigoni.
Questa edizione della Taschen è però "tascabile"e quindi ultracompressa. Per quanto sia più maneggevole, devo ammettere con il senno di poi che avrei dovuto acquistare (ignorando il fattore vil denaro) la versione mattonella gigante ovvero messale da chiesa, in modo da apprezzare appieno le splendide, intricate opere di Mr H.
E per quanto sia stato interessante scoprire quanto Bosh abbia rivoluzionato l'arte sacra, rappresentando nei suoi quadri concetti fino a quel momento solo presenti in forma scritta, ammetto di essere rimasta delusa.
Per anni sono stata convinta che Mr H. traesse ispirazione dal suo subsconscio per realizzare quadri deliranti come "il giardino delle delizie", della serie pittore maledetto e folle visionario, e invece così non è: era "solo" un acculturato fanatico religioso. Avrei preferito mantenere intatte le mie romantiche ( e del tutto erronee) illusioni.

[Caleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who just finished a MA in art history, I was always a bit wary of Bosch and never quite felt like I understood what I was seeing (which was frusterating). But then I read this book -- in one setting -- (and while at work) and it completely changed everything! I now have a total respect and admiration for this strange, apocalyptic, nightmare-inducing art of the Northern Renaissance.
The author beautifully explained Bosch's culture and environment, essentially giving a method to the madness. And it wasn't simply an overview of the artist or his work, he really delved into specific pieces to find and explain symbols and themes. The full color photographs are wonderful, not to mention, absolutely necessary when studying Bosch.
The book was a joy and I would suggest it to any student of art who is put-off or intimidated by the works of Hieronymus Bosch.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive and somewhat exhausting, this tome details every symbolic image in Bosch's major works. The color reproductions are astoundingly good and for those who want to know everything possible about this artist's oeuvre, this is the book. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of his drawings.

[Caryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning coffee table sized book with the full history and art of Bosch.
My favorite book in my collection; a must for any true art collector.

[Julie Stielstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

For serious, patient art history buffs. A detailed, comprehensive examination of the surprisingly small body of work produced by this 16th century Flemish painter - all the allusions tracked down and documented, symbols explained, dinner parties attended, books known, and lots and lots of delicious detail illustrations.

My trouble with this edition is the layout. It's very small in format (5 1/2 x 8 in.) and so correspondingly thick - nearly two inches. You cannot expect to reproduce a triptych with a central panel *alone* that measures 52 x 21 in. even across a double-page spread without sacrificing quality, so thank goodness for the detail pages! However, the arrangement of the illustrations is disorganized, and I found myself with fingers and bookmarks inserted in three or four places, flipping back and forth between text and pictures. It was a challenge, and one I confess I didn't sustain all the time. I wish I had the large-format edition; perhaps it's better in this regard.

An important resource with all the historical background on this unique, complex and delightful painter... or you can just savor the weird, bizarre, inventive and hilarious pictures.

[Ian Barbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, in no short part to the fact that I could stare at a Bosch painting for an hour and still discover new quirks in it.

Incredibly helpful at making sense of the strange visions of a man whose art I originally thought was a unique blip in the time before the Renaissance. With what little information is known about Bosch, the author traced the stylistic origins, biblical and physiologus-rooted symbolisms, and history behind The Garden of Earthly Delights and beyond in a way that put into context the world Bosch was conveying himself to. Knowing these details enriches an already rewarding experience viewing these insanely detailed triptychs that went beyond the typical representations of their time.

For anyone wanting to view digitally, this website shows beautifully rendered versions of his paintings. Some of the largest resolutions I've ever seen in my entire life:

http://boschproject.org/#/

The only reason I would take a star away was the disjointed reference locations throughout the book. It was a little annoying having to keep track of a few different page locations for reference while reading an entry on a different page all together. The collection of works at the end helps to remedy this a little, but by then the book is already over.

[Jared Montecinos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una gran introducción a El Bosco, su vida, su obra y un aventuramiento a la fantasía que se nos muestra a primera vista en sus famosos trípticos como "El jardin de las delicias".
Stephan Fischer muestra su grado de erudición y conocimiento de El Bosco, dándonos a conocer a través de un análisis histórico, bibiliográfico, pintórico y místico-religioso,el poder de la fantasía de El Bosco y el origen de su desbordante imaginación.

A pesar de esto, el formato del libro puede llegar a ser incómodo ya que hay que constantemente cambiar de página para lograr a entender las referencias, lo cuál hace perder el ritmo de la lectura y además de no dar un panorama completo y global de toda su obra, sino de detalles o momentos particulares,
Sin embargo lo mencionado en este último parrafo no le quita en demasía la enorme calidad de este libro, que al igual que la pintura del Bosco, da más por cada leída que se le dé.

[tomasawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Livre très utile pour mieux comprendre les tableaux de Bosch, la symbolique de ses créatures hybrides et grotesquement drôles. Ce que je pensais être un joyeux délire, une éloge de la folie et en fait très réfléchi et le message délivré est finalement très religieux et moralisateur. J'aurais certainement encore plus apprécié le contenu des écrits en connaissant mieux les références bibliques. Le gros point faible de ce livre, à mon sens, c'est l'agencement des documents et des textes. Je trouve absurde de ne pas présenter chaque œuvre globalement en début d'analyse avant de s'attacher aux détails. Les textes renvoient sans cesse à des pages éloignées dans le livre, ce qui donne une impression de désordre. On ne sait plus quel tableau on est en train d'analyser.

[LukaMelArt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uno de los primeros recuerdos conscientes que conservo de obras de arte son las representaciones infernales y apocalípticas de Hans Memling, El Bosco o Pieter Brueghel el Viejo en los catálogos de la estantería de casa. Con los años he continuado volviendo a estas drolerías -especialmente a "El jardín de las delicias"- por diversas razones, pero sin poder evitar hacerlo desde la pura fascinación y el limitado entendimiento de las obras, en las que ingenua y erróneamente suponía un grado de aleatoriedad.

Nada más lejos de la realidad; Fray José de Sigüenza escribió en 1605 que "sus pinturas no son disparates, sino unos libros de gran prudencia y artificio". Gracias a este trabajo de revisión que repasa la obra completa de El Bosco he podido averiguar que no hay puntada sin hilo, y que cada elemento representado tiene su profundo significado asociado, el cual casi siempre depende del contexto. Se trata de un libro actualizado que contiene muchísima bibliografía específica del tema, con un formato dimensional reducido muy atractivo, y una gran calidad del papel y las reproducciones a color. Además, sorprende positivamente su relativa asequibilidad.

Las descripciones de las obras no son exhaustivas ni extremadamente técnicas, por lo que la lectura es bastante amena. Sin embargo, ésta constantemente salta de una página a otra para hacer referencia a las imágenes descritas, por lo que es recomendable usar un segundo marcapáginas. Evidentemente, el formato reducido del libro afecta a la visualización de las reproducciones, por lo que también es aconsejable tener una lupa a mano. Como único punto negativo destacaría la traducción en la edición en castellano, pero en absoluto de forma general.

Por lo tanto, el libro es una excelente opción introductoria para toda persona curiosa que quiera aproximarse a la figura de El Bosco y a su obra dentro del contexto histórico y religioso, así como para que lo haga de una manera más acertada y con algo más de criterio.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine work on Bosch, but nothing above or beyond. Images are clear and numerous, and explanations of the myriad symbolism in each painting are thorough. Really missing a collection of essays or scholarly opinions on Bosch. This book takes care to say little about him or his worm beyond the most non falsifiable readings of his symbolism and historical context. Nothing wrong with it as a base text on him, but nothing terribly special either.

[Zac Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't tend to log art books, just throwing them into the GR arts shelf for the sake of bibliophilism.
But yeah. Bosch rips, and this is easily the definitive way to view their work from the comfort of your home.

Anyway my Bosch kin is the pig man living beneath the bridge in The Temptation of St. Anthony.

[Megan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dudes, Bosch's art is INTENSE. I love the insane creatures he comes up with, and the "The Garden of Earthly Delights" is always one that keeps my eye for ages. Admittedly I haven't read the full text within this one, but honestly, I did just purchase this to get a closer look at his works. Highly recommend this one if Bosch's works have intrigued you in the past!