7/26/2023 0 Comments Bosch owl sketchThe contrasting inner panels of the triptych might thus allude to mankind’s progression which is in fact a downfall from the paradisical state to the current technological age. The sharp contrast of the left and central panel’s solely organic imagery and the countless artificial motives on the right wing also accords with this reading: After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise they had to provide for themselves and were therefore equipped with technical capabilities that provide the basis for the cultural evolution of mankind. Therefore, a reading of the central panel as a “continuous allegory” in which the Fall of Man is split up into numerous single scenes seems worth considering. What is more, the composition with its countless small figures bearing features similar to the first parents on the left wing might have been conceived as a continuous narrative, especially since similar depictions can be found in panel painting, miniatures and tapestries of the time. However, the consecutive structure of the triptych, the explicit and implicit references to the Fall of Man on the central panel and its setting in the Garden of Eden raise doubts on that interpretation. The central panel of Boschʼs 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' is generally read as an allegory of the sinfulness of mankind. The exposition in Het Noordbrabants Museum and the eponymous publication From Bosch's Stable-Hieronymus Bosch and the Adoration of the Magi devotes extensive attention to this imitation. The Bosch Research and Conservation Project, which has been researching Bosch's work and studio since 2010, has carefully investigated a number of these copies. With over 30 early copies still in existence, the interpretation of Bosch is one of the most popular compositions in the late medieval Netherlands. The early admiration in Bosch's own time is remarkable. Both paintings were copied and imitated almost immediately, indicating they were held in high esteem. One belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the other to the Museo del Prado (Madrid). ![]() Two of those paintings have been preserved. Hieronymus Bosch also depicted this theme several times. ![]() This resulted in an abundance of festive depictions, full of exotic figures with lavish costumes and attributes. The feast of Epiphany was extremely popular in the visual arts of the late middle ages.
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