ARTHIST 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Triptych
23 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Name: Garden of Earthly Delights
Year: 1505-1515
By: Hieronymus Bosch
Material: Oil on Wood
o triptych format = central panel and two side wing panels that can close up over the central panel
o It was meant to be looked at from left to write like you would read a book
o as you analyse the pictures from left to right you also moe through the seasons
o
o Likely commissioned by the Aristocratic House of Nassau by collects living in Brussel the Capital of
Belgium. they wanted it for their townhouse - they were likely catholic because of the background
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of the picture and that it was a triptych format.
o This is the triptych picture closed
o this could have been how it was presented most of the time, only opened on special occasions
o it’s a trasparet sphere representing the earth - on the third day of creation
o upper left God floats on clouds and blessed the earth and his creation
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o On the left (seen above)
o Its spring in the Garden of Eden
o Adam and Eve are being married by God - although it is not presented as an entirely happy event
o Behind the principle figures there is in owl in a tree looking down at them
o In the 16th century Owls symbolized both wisdom and folly (lack of good sense; foolishness)
o folly was a huge subject at the time, when humanists promoted the significance of education. The
idea being that through education people would be well position to choose the right path
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