The Artistry of Hieronymus Bosch: Renaissance Naturalism, Allegory, and Imagination

Bosch revolutionized early Renaissance art by turning away from traditional Christian images such as Madonnas and saints. In the Garden of Earthly Delights, the Haywain, and the Seven Deadly Sins, Bosch painted secular, encyclopedic scenes of everyday life (framed with moral allegory) and fantastic scenes of sexual fantasy and hellish punishment. Although seemingly poles apart, his naturalism and fantasy were both part of a secular, Renaissance aesthetic which understood artistic seeing as both empirical and playful, as a process rooted in the study of the natural world and in the display of visual interpretation and artistic mind.  In the Renaissance world of art, seeing was ultimately connected to artistic invention. Among the ironies, Bosch’s artistry allowed him to convert medieval sin and hellish punishment into visually appealing luxury objects for pleasure loving aristocrats while bringing the artist fame and fortune.

Connecticut College’s Associate Professor of Art History, Robert Baldwin, will guide audience members through an exploration of Bosch’s works, 500 years after the artist’s death. Join us on Saturday, May 14 at 11 a.m. at the Essex Library. This program is free and open to the public. Please call the Library at 860 767-1560 to register or for more information. The Essex Library is located at 33 West Avenue in Essex.