"The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Jheronimus Bosch is a truly complex and multifaceted painting, a kind of message from the 16th century, in which there are many interesting hidden meanings and veiled images. However, a knowledgeable person can read it like an open book, all the images that now look strange and surreal, for educated contemporaries of Bosch were understandable and logical, although they sincerely admired the rich imagination of the artist. Let's figure out what Bosch actually painted and try to reveal some of the secrets of this outstanding painting.
The Garden of Earthly Delights
On the left panel of the triptych, which depicts Paradise, the fountain of life is depicted - the source of all that exists on earth, but it is desecrated by an owl, which symbolizes heresy and darkness. This is the idea that life itself is already sinful and sin always accompanies man, simply because of the fact of his existence.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
God holds Eve's hand, which is modestly lowered, and next to her is Adam, looking at the beautiful Eve with desire and admiration. And here is already criticism towards the beautiful half of humanity.
It turns out that Eve had already tasted the forbidden fruit and experienced shame, otherwise there was simply nothing to be ashamed of, even such a biblical message as "Be fruitful and multiply", which is hinted at by rabbits, which are a symbol of fertility. That is, Bosch thought that women are initially vicious by nature, however, his views were shared by many men at that time, even the most enlightened.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
The paradise in Bosch's painting is not at all like the canonical one - predators there willingly eat their victims, and black birds, which are a symbol of sin, fly in a long line through a hollow egg, which symbolizes the empty soul of an atheist.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
Sin already existed in paradise, otherwise Eve would simply not have been able to know it - it is impossible to know something that does not exist. Thus, Bosch showed himself to be a critically thinking philosopher, and not a religious dogmatist.
The Garden of Earthly Delights. Central part
The central part of the painting contains many images of naked sinners in the most bizarre poses. There is an opinion that Bosch was a member of the Admites sect - those guys were great entertainers in terms of sensual pleasures, and many rituals were performed in a natural, pristine form. But, most likely, this is only a version, the times were strict then, the Inquisition cruelly persecuted all sectarians, and Bosch was still too smart and pious to join any sect.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
Bosch painted sinners without clothes to more accurately reflect their vices and sins, just as human nature itself cannot be hidden under the fig leaves of decent clothes and visible decency.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
By the way, strawberries symbolized licentiousness, that's why sinners are depicted with these giant berries. So the meaning of "strawberries" comes from the depths of centuries, although it is little associated with Bosch's paintings.
In the center of the painting is a fountain of eternal youth, around which are four strange structures indicating the cardinal directions.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
Bosch was already quite skeptical about astrology at that time, and therefore depicted a whole cavalcade of riders on various animals, most often completely unsuitable for riding, and mythical creatures like unicorns, which move counterclockwise, that is, contrary to the natural order of things.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
According to Bosch, transparent spheres symbolize egoism; people like these lovers simply live in their own world and don’t care about anyone else.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
But their relationship cannot last long, according to the old saying, “There is nothing less durable than glass and love.”
But Bosch especially gave free rein to his imagination when working on the right panel of the triptych, which depicted hell. In the center is a melancholic monster, completely unperturbed, although inside its hollow wooden body some sinners have set up a real pub, which attracts completely strange and repulsive characters, like the man climbing up the stairs.
The Garden of Earthly Delights: The Melancholy Monster
All this is Bosch's attempt to brand drunkenness as one of the most terrible sins. And indeed, the alcoholic becomes completely indifferent to life, he is not interested in anything except the bottle.
Bosch did not have much respect for music and musicians; in his opinion, which was shared by many at the time, it was good only in taverns and for dancing before a love date, because it was a frivolous entertainment, unworthy of serious men.
The Garden of Earthly Delights fragment
And if the musicians performed music together, as in a modern polyphonic orchestra, then this is a clear sin. That is why Bosch depicted musical instruments as real instruments of torture, and it is not only about the quality of the music extracted from them.
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