Discovering the details inside The Garden of Earthly Delights
- Ivan Garcia
- Apr 9, 2021
- 4 min read
The Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych, 1490–1500" by Tulip Hysteria
One of my most memorable trips I did as a backpacker was visiting Madrid, Spain. Besides its delightful gastronomy and the beautiful architecture, it was exciting to discover that "Museo del Prado" has one of most mesmerizing paintings I've ever seen, "The Garden of Earthy Delights" by the Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosh. I will share my impressions about those Easter eggs you can find in this enigmatic masterpiece.
Even after 500 Years of Being Created It Is Still Captivating Audiences.
The painting itself is a triptych painted on oak ratter than on a canvas, hence, it can be closed as a precious case that contains the "miracle of creation". As well, the considerable size of the painting 2.2m by 3.89m (open) looks outstanding since I had been seen it only in small posters or book illustrations.
This configuration was common for religious artwork exhibited in church altars for that time. Although it is not clear if the painting was commissioned by the church, I found it brilliantly functional, the fact of having an artwork that can be closed. Add to this, a clever way to preserve the oil paint since this medium was newish for in this period according to Giorgio Vasari in his book "The Lives of the Artists.
"When the tryptich is closed, a secondary painting in Grisaille emerges to render the world made of plants as an allegory to the third day of the creation of the creation narrated in the Bible. Now, if you look with attention on the upper left side, you will find a tiny image of God appreciating his work, and the words
“For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” Psalm 33:9.
I enjoy the idea of decoding the narrative that any artwork intents to tell, hence, "The garden of Earthy Delights" is a piece that describes Heaven, Earth and Hell from the prolific imaginary of the painter. Subsequently, the best way to get into the painting is to read it from left to right. This way makes easier to decipher the hierarchy of the characters based on the different planes of perspective.
The ingenious use of colour combined with surreal images crates a delightful composition that is charged with deep symbolism. Pink relates to divinity and predominates in "Heaven" by illustrating God and the fountain of life. In "Earth" blue corresponds to earthly pleasures, curiously portrayed in shapes of different dark berries very recurrent during the 17th century, a.k.a "The Strawberry Painting" period. Red as the lustful desire, adorns with cherries the head of some beautiful creatures there.
Couple with orgasmic activities inside the fruit of a plant
is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Moving from Earth to Hell the background gradually become darker as a metaphor of the irredeemable of humanity turned into paint. The Hell in my opinion, is the most surrealist part of the painting. Here, animal figures are the executioners of the condemned souls who experience diverse types of punishments for their sins on Earth. Nevertheless, the beauty of the colour contrast creates a mesmerizing dynamism that connects the spectator with the imaginary of Bosch.
An Everlasting Duality Between Pleasure and Pain
The work starts by showing the closeness of Adan and Eve to God in a lost paradise full of living creatures living in harmony. Then, in Earth, humanity succumbs to the pleasures of the world; hence, ending in Hell by their own excesses. Considering the significance of the religious believes in those days, the message might express a harsh admonition of falling in sin.
The art historian Hans Belting points out the possibility that Bosh self-portrayed himself in Hell as a "Tree-man". A figure with hollow torso with people inside him
“I cannot help feeling that the real secret of his magnificent nightmares and daydreams has still to be disclosed.” Erwin Panofsky.
I believe that this work can be interpreted as a satire of the confrontation of our natural predestination to pleasure and the moralism of the church in those days. However, this duality make us humans, then, why not enjoy the beauty of being alive? Utopia or tragedy this timeless piece is still an enigma that has inspired prolific artists of the 20th century’s Surrealism.
by f_snarfel is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
How the Painting Ended in Madrid
As Bosh did not date his work it has been difficult for historians to define an exact date of creation; however, it can be estimated that a particular collector had commissioned the work between 1510 -1515. The painting ended in Spain when King Philip II bought it in an auction in 1591. Then, in the 20th century, as consequence of the Spanish Civil War the artwork became part of Museo del Prado's collection.
“Despite being a highly individualistic artist, there are only 25 surviving works that historians attribute to the master.” Jessica Stewart
This enigmatic painting has inspired many generations because its multiple interpretations and the vivid imagination of the artist. The mastered of colour, composition and images together create an enigmatic masterpiece. The pleasure of art appreciation consist in finding the small details and asking ourselves what the artist wanted to tell us.
The good news is that it is not necessary to travel to Madrid to contemplate the painting. In the 500th anniversary of Bosch passing, the interactive exhibit called “Jhieronimus Bosh Touched by the Devil” allows a fantastic interactive experience of this masterpiece.
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