Product Description
"An exceptional book, sensible, illuminating and readable...probably the best straightforward account of Bosch and his works which we shall have for some time."—Times Literary SupplementNo one can look at the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch without amazementand bewilderment. Professor Gibson shows that what seems inexplicableto us today—the canvases full of torture, monsters, and leeringdevils—was perfectly intelligible to the fifteenth-century viewer. Thesubjects of Bosch's paintings were in fact the overwhelming concerns oflate medieval Europe: the Last Judgment, original sin, death,temptations of the flesh. The author describes each picture in detail,placing each work within the context of medieval folklore and religion,and explains that many of the acts portrayed in the pictures werevisual translations of verbal puns or metaphors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Bosch the Medievalist
I remember the first time I saw the poster of "The Gardens of Earthly Delights."I had the typical college freshman response that it blew my mind and made me feel that Bosch was an alien character who took on earthly form.What is so great about this account of his art, is that the author recognizes this response and takes it to a different place, a medieval world where satanic iconography isn't so strange.

At first I was disappointed he didn't single out "Garden" for lengthy and extended analysis and praise but after reading the book I realized that was the point.Gibson was showing the continuum of Bosch's work and "Garden" was in keeping with the rest of it and also that the iconography it contained was explainable within its medieval context.

The World Turned Right Again:Walter Gibson Explains Bosch
Art is a mystical and magical phenomenon.For that reason, few scholars of the art of the past can resist the temptation to cloud their work with terminal over-analysis and obfuscating jargon.Fortunately, Walter Gibson(like St. Anthony in the desert) does not succumb to these demons.With aclear eye, he reviews the work, thought and religious sentiment of one ofthe most mystical painters in human history; however, he never letsdaylight in upon magic.The reader finishes this delightful little tome onBosch with a better understanding of his work, but a profound respect forhis mystery.Gibson is erudite without being obfuscatory, respectfulwithout being unduly ingratiating.An excellent work by someone who trulyloves and understands art. ... Read more

Product Description
Four hundred little people frolic au naturel with overgrown songbirds and raspberries; a pudgy blue demon serenades a fashionable young couple with a tune piped through his own elongated nose; a knife-wielding set of disembodied ears stalks the damned through hell. The phantasmagoric imagery of Hieronymus Bosch (d. 1516) has been the source of widespread interest ever since the painter’s lifetime, and is still so enigmatic that scholars have theorized that it contains hidden astrological, alchemical, or even heretical meanings. Yet none of these theories has ever seemed to provide an adequate understanding of Bosch’s work. Moreover, the considerable professional success that the artist enjoyed in his native s’Hertogenbosch, not to mention his membership in a traditional religious organization, suggests that he pursued not a sinister secret agenda but simply his personal artistic vision.

This intriguing new monograph by noted art historian Larry Silver interprets that artistic vision with admirable lucidity: it explains how Bosch’s understanding of human sin, morality, and punishment, which was conceived in an era of powerful apocalyptic expectation, shaped his dramatic visualizations of hell and of the temptations of even the most steadfast saints. Silver’s account of Bosch’s artistic development is one of the first to benefit from recent technical investigations of the paintings, as well as from the reexamination of the artist’s drawings in relation to his paintings. Hieronymus Bosch is also unique in how securely it places its subject’s work in the broader history of painting in the Low Countries: Silver identifies sources of Bosch’s iconography in a wide range of fifteenth-century panel paintings, manuscript illuminations, and prints, and describes how, despite their own religiousness, Bosch’s pictures helped inspire the secular landscape and genre scenes of later Netherlandish painters. Augmented by 310 illustrations, most in color, including many dramatic close-ups of Bosch’s intricately imagined nightmare scenes, this is the definitive book on a perennially fascinating artist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Gorgeous
I am not an art expert, but I believe H. was the Van Gogh of his age with his amazing imagination and use of colors, but he was also a technician. This book shows off his paintings to very good effect.

A MUST for any Bosch fan.
This book has the absolute best reproductions of Bosch's surreal masterworks, plus a boatload of other images that help demystify the peculiar themes and images that have dazzled art lovers for so long. It gives the artist a human face without taking anything away from the art.

My only complaint would be that the layout is a bit cumbersome(it is annoying to be on page 194 and have to look back at figure 2A on page 3)and at times the text can be a bit hard to wade through. That being said, I urge anyone interested in Bosch to face the text head on, stick to it, and you will not be disappointed.

Hieronymus Bosch
I've always been fascinated by Hieronymus Bosch's work, but I've never been satisfied with reproductions. In this book there are amazing reproductions that aren't too small or too dark or too fuzzy. The close-ups of Bosch's works are great. They really let you see the minutiae - the brushwork, attention to detail and the sheer amount of activity going on in his paintings. Well worth the cost - if you buy on book about Bosch, it should be this one.

Revelations of Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch History of world's art knows a very few artists whose contribution can be compared to Hieronymus Bosch's
oeuvre-this enigmatic Flemish master has set bar extremely high,& only Pieter Bruegel The Elder & perhaps Francisco Goya were able to expose real truth about human nature with almost equal depth and conviction-and today apocalyptic and sarcastic paintings of Hieronymus Bosch are as modern as ever...
This particular book about Hieronymus Bosch is arguably one of the best amongst countless attempts to capture elusive magic of this old Flemish painter, and spectacular quality of art reproduction can take you as close to the original painting as you can possibly get, so there is very little left between mesmerizing Revelations of Hieronymus Bosch and reader of "Hieronymus Bosch" by Larry Silver.

Beautiful and scholarly
This is a beautiful art book. If you are a fan of Bosch you will relish the gorgeous color plates and the insightful window into this artist's life. Very well done! ... Read more

Product Description
The bizarre and fantastic paintings of the Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch have puzzled and intrigued their viewers for centuries. Following years of research which have taken her to every corner of Europe, Lynda Harris offers surprising new insights into Bosch's detailed and cryptic visual fantasies. Drawing on a wide variety of new sources, she deciphers Bosch's symbolism as the hidden expression of his heretical religious beliefs. She argues that Bosch belonged to the Cathar faith, a Manichean religious heresy which was persecuted and driven underground by the Church in the Middle Ages. This fabulously illustrated study reveals that while Bosch was carrying out commissions for his wealthy Catholic patrons, he was all the while coding his own inner heretical convictions in the hidden meanings of his paintings, as a record for posterity of the beliefs of his threatened religious sect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

New Light on an Old Master!
I read this book with real interest, and am very impressed by the author's arguments. As I see it, none of the other interpretations(Bosch as a Catholic; Bosch as an Adamite; Bosch as an Alchemist) ring true to the same extent. When Harris discusses the hidden Cathar (ie, Gnostic) meanings in Bosch's paintings she exposes hidden depths.We find convincing explanations for quirky images likesaints surrounded by devils, monsters in the Garden of Eden, the strange unified landscapes of Hell and Earth in the Last Judgement scenes, and the peculiar gates and the circle of animals in the Garden of Earthly Delights, to name just a few. All Bosch's works are covered, and all fit into the overall world-view of the Cathars.

Who would have guessed, for example, that Bosch's Seven Deadly Sins painting had so many hidden heretical symbols, or that his picture of life after death can also be seen on 15th century Bosnian tombstones? Who would have realized that Bosch's art contained so many Italian Renaissance features?All this is not what you'd expect, and it's the originality and excitement of discovery that makes this book so especially interesting.

Traditional Bosch fanciers may not agree with Harris's new interpretaton of Bosch's paintings, but original ideas often take a long time to sink in. For me, this well produced book, with its many illustrations, its sympathy with the spiritual side of the Gnostic Cathar religion, and its wide ranging subject matter, is a real eye opener.

Well, maybe! But probably not!
This book presents the intriguing theory that the fantastic Dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch was a member of a heretical sect called the Cathars, who believed that Satan created the Earth and trapped human souls in living matter (bodies). That is why, according to Harris, Bosch paints the Earth as a place inhabited by his famous and fanciful demons. The Cathars apparently believed that you must escape this hell on Earth to be reunited with the heavenly spirit.

The problem with this theory is that there is not a shred of evidence to support it, and Harris herself apparently isn't able to present any. Very little is known about the life of this artist. Harris tries to convince us that her theory is correct by interpreting the paintings as Cathar symbols -- an argument that goes something like: "Here is another Cathar symbol; that confirms my theory. Bosch was a Cathar, etc." The trouble is that most of the "Cathar" symbols are more generally Christian symbols and have been agreed to as such by most other Bosch scholars. There is no need to regard them as heretical. Most of the "anti-religious" symbols in Bosch's paintings are explanable as criticism of a corrupt Catholic clergy just before the advent of Martin Luther. Widespread discontent was understandably in the air.

An example of Harris's biased eye is her forced interpretation of Bosch's painting of "John the Baptist (JB) in the Wilderness", pages 155-156. The Cathars regarded JB as an agent of Satan who falsely set himself up as a divine messenger of God. To the Cathars JB was the Anti-Christ. If Bosch were the Cathar zealot that Harris portrays, one would expect to see demons and evil symbols covering this painting, both in the landscape and even on JB himself. After all, they are present in most of Bosch's paintings, even those of a less provocative topic to Cathars than JB. But I see nothing of the sort here. JB is portrayed benignly reclining on the earth and gently pointing to a lamb, the symbol of Christ, as if to say "Here lies the way". What Harris calls the "Tree of Death" is central to the painting and her argument, but it appears to be very much alive, bearing plentiful seeds or fruit which birds are finding delicious and hearty. This, she simply ignores. None of the satanic symbols that Harris herself describes in other paintings appear here. Where is the evil owl, the malignant crescent, the devilish toad, etc? Instead, there is a beautiful pastoral scene, with the gentle Saint lying in peaceful contemplation. There is no hint at all that JB is an agent of the Devil -- quite the contrary.

Despite this major flaw, one can obliquely glean interesting insights from this book. The writing is clear and the examples are relevant to the text. Harris probes the symbolism in detail and analyzes several paintings with interest. But, interpreting them as Cathar political statements is simply incredible. I'm not saying that Harris is necessarily wrong, but that the argument just doesn't support her theory. I find her argument to be less than convincing.

An original, interesting and perceptive book.
At last a new angle on the strange paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.This is a well written and researched book, and seems to solve many mysteries in the artist's work.

Fascinating, original & perceptive
This must be the answer to the mystery of Bosch's paintings.A fascinating book which keeps you hooked to the end.Full of new ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
The paintings of Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516) have captivated and confounded observers for centuries, leading to wildly varying conclusions on the artist’s spirituality. Kurt Falk presents the first analysis of Bosch’s inner life in light of a hitherto unknown—and now lost—version of one of his seminal works, The Last Judgment, found by the author in Cairo in the mid-1930s.

With an introduction by spiritual psychologist Robert Sardello, The Unknown Hieronymus Bosch presents an entirely new way of looking at this art—not through the framework of art history or the notion of a school of painting, but through the spirit. Falk’s analysis reveals the ways in which Bosch addresses creation, including the exalted and fallen spiritual worlds so prevalent in his work. The author’s conclusions are startling but persuasive: that Bosch had strong links to Rosicrucianism, that many of the paintings feature a curious onlooker figure we now understand as a spirit-witness, and that Bosch had in fact developed the capacity to clairvoyantly know the extraordinary worlds he portrays in such exacting detail. The book’s high-quality reproductions, carefully rendered in the paintings’ true colors, offer powerful visual support for the author’s theories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Spiritual Science in Paintings
This book would primarily interest students of esotericism, especially (from this reader's point of view) of the Rosicrucianism as presented in the Anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner.A superb introduction by Dr. Robert Sadello calls the paintings "instruments of contemplation" and suggests that they are best approached meditatively. The text by Kurt Falk accompanying the paintings describes the imaginative symbolism of the art clearly although one needs a magnifying glass to see the noted details.

a wonderful book
a fantastic art book by a devoted bosch art historian; great reproductions and interesting essays. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the most enigmatic painters who ever lived, Hieronymus Bosch (c.1453- 1516) is also one of the most enduringly popular. His fantastical scenes of grotesque creatures, devils, and monsters are open to many interpretations, keeping his art endlessly fascinating over the centuries.

This luxurious volume-published to coincide with a major exhibition in Bosch's native Netherlands-examines his art in the context of his times. With every Bosch painting and drawing superbly reproduced in full color, this beautiful book penetrates the mystery that has always surrounded the artist. His worldview, often seen as bizarre, is shown to correspond with that of his contemporaries, among them the scholar and humanist Erasmus. What makes Bosch unique, the authors show, are his unfettered imagination and immense talent.
250 illustrations, 190 in full color, 208 pages, 91/2 x 123/8" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Disappointing
This book accompanied a Bosch retrospective in Rotterdam, 2001.It is not a catalogue nor an illustrated biography.It is made up of 3 art history essays (without references) and lots of pictures.The latter are "OK" - not more.Many are too small.Most of the captions are in minute type, not helpful in content and sometimes not even near the picture.Some pictures have no identification that I could find.Too bad - it could have been so much better.

I MUST HAVE A DIFFERANT BOOK?
I am totally blown away by these negative reviews, I have several books on BOSCH and this is one of the best, to begin with it is complete, and has many very nice illustrations of the drawings, which is rare, have no hesitation on this book it is filled with lots of great BOSCH, do not listen to the other critics...this perfectly fine book on the artist.

The Best Recent Introduction to Bosch
I have read most of the monographs on Bosch, and this represents the best recent effort to present Bosch's works on an introductory level.Koldeweij examines Bosch's obscure biography; Vermet discusses the problems of dating and attribution of Bosch's works; Vandenbroeck looks at some of the themes in Bosch's iconography.The only problem with the book is a lack of imagery details.The reproductions are beautiful, but there are not enough of them.The publishers should have made the book much larger with more images.The publishers should have used Charles de Tolnay's huge monograph for a model.As of yet, there is no definitive Bosch monograph that combines Tolnay's amount of image examples and Dirk Bax's exhaustive iconographic analyses.But if I had to pick a good introduction to Bosch and his works, this would be it.

Get Your Glasses Out
I've been thinking about buying this book and finally came across it in a bookstore so I was able to preview it before buying it on amazon.[com] I'm glad I did because like other reviews, the main disappointment with this book is that the paintings are reproduced small. They're reproduced almost as footnotes to the text but my main reason in buying an art book is for the visuals. And with Bosch, there are so many details but they were just too small to see here. The art should have been given a full page without text surrounding an image. This was a big let down, I was looking forward to buying this book, but now I'll pass on it. With the small reproductions it just isn't worth the price. The 1 star is for Bosch's art which is still great despite the poor book design.

Look elsewhere for Bosch...
This book has three essay chapters. The first chapter deals with Bosch's home town..... anything about Bosch's home town. Details are thrown in because they are known, even when they do not add to our understanding of Bosch. The second chapter discusses a new method for dating the wood panels that Bosch and others painted on, and questions whether some paintings can really be attributed to Bosch. This could be an interesting discussion if there was more explanation of how the paintings had been judged and attributed to Bosch previously. Instead it is new data without much context. The final chapter deals with the imagery of Bosch. This has the potential to be the most enlightening, but falls well short. By the end the reader may know a little more about Bosch, but not enough to warrant wading through this book.
Now all could still be forgiven if the presentation of the artwork was good. Because Bosch is enjoyable without explanations. But the presentation in the book is not. The paintings and drawings appear scattered throughout with no rhyme or reason. The numbering of the pictures is frustrating to follow. You will be searching back and forth through the book looking for the pictures that correspond to the point being made in the text. When you do find the picture, you probably will be disappointed. Even the quintessential Bosch work " The Garden of Earthly Delights" is presented in quarter page size. In contrast Bosch imitators are given larger representation. I don't understand why. The poor lay-out even extends to page numbering. There is a reason for the convention of numbering pages on the outer margins away from the spine. This was brought home very strongly as I searched for the page numbers halfway along the pages near the spine. This may sound a trivial complaint, but this book seemed designed to test the patience of the reader. "Luckily" I got this book for half price, but that was still paying way too much. There are far better and cheaper books out there on Bosch. Go with them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Pish Posh - Pish Posh, I Love Hieronymus Bosch
The work of Hieronymus Bosh fascinates me.What a treat it was to find a book not only about my beloved artist but one that is a work of art all by it self.Pish Posh Hieronymus Bosh is a children's book written by Nancy Willard and illustrated by The Dillons (Diane and Leo.)

Bosh lived and painted in the Netherlands during the thirteenth and fourteenth century.His paintings are famous for their strange little creatures.I look at them and at times, the paintings appear futuristic with the alien like creatures and flying spaceship like objects.My first impression of his work was the science fiction like quality.

This children's book is written in rhyme, and tells a story of Hieronymus and his disgruntled housekeeper.Sick and tired of tripping over and caring for a myriad of unbelievable le creatures, she packs her bag and off she goes.She soon discovers the creatures have literally attached themselves to her for she is not only a housekeeper but to the creatures, "a mother."Apparently, the life she wished for was not to be.

"They're not what I wished for.When women are young, they want curly-haired daughters and raven-haired sons.In this vale of tears we must take what we're sent, Feathery, Leathery, Lovely, or Bent."

In addition to the wonderful story about Bosh and his housekeeper, the book is a thing of beauty worthy of consideration as a family treasure.The text type and display type were hand lettered and are near three dimensional in appearance.The original artwork is unique and colorful.The book is presented on 100-pound Natural Karma paper meant to endure for generations of readers.

Short Biographies of Bosh, the author and the illustrator serve as cream to this wonderful desert of a book.

Marvelously Imaginative
Medieval Dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch often included strange creatures in his paintings.Of course, as a busy artist, he would have employed a housekeeper, and she might have been a trifle disturbed by the many bizarre creations inhabiting the household.This is the premise behind Willard's poem.The housekeeper, exasperated by having to deal with "three-legged thistles" sleeping in her wash, an oven which turns itself into a rake, and dragons which block the sink, packs her bags and leaves.She doesn't realize until much later, however, that several of the strange creatures have stowed away in her baggage.They beg her to return and Bosch is so happy to see her again that he promises to reinvent his creatures to be more helpful to her.They marry and (presumably) live happily (but weirdly) ever after.

I wish I had had this book when I was a child-I think I would have spent many hours returning to it again and again to enjoy the cadence of the poetry and explore the weirdness of the illustrations.However, since it was written thirty years after I was born, I guess I can't feel too deprived, and I'm glad to have it now.What a delight!It's a rich and beautiful book.

Without a doubt, while Willard's poem is very entertaining to read aloud, this book is all about the illustrations.They do it all: complement, extend, and enrich the story.They are filled with movement, befitting the commotion the poor housekeeper must endure in a house inhabited by two-headed bats, pickle-winged fish, and a pigeon-toed rat.The only calm picture illustrates the housekeeper's memory of working as a laundress at a convent.It is dominated by three serene nuns in dark habits.It presents a sharp contrast to the madcap Bosch household, where something is peeking, creeping, running, clinging or jumping everywhere one looks.The housekeeper looks furious for much of the book, and her clothing is a swirl of red, white, and black.After walking twenty-two miles to (I'm assuming) her parents' home, she collapses in bed.The three scenes here are a study in blues and greens, enhancing the nighttime setting.Her startled face is caught in the glow of lamplight as "a mole in a habit, a thistledown rabbit, a troop of jackdaws, a three-legged dish, the pickle-winged fish, and a head wearing claws" leap from her luggage and entreat her to return home.She flies home on the fish, and daylight returns in full color.Bosch (sleeping with a ludicrous colander on his head) appears in a red nightshirt and slippers with enormous red pom-poms, and dances joyously with his bride-to-be as the newly helpful creatures look on.There are fewer of them in this final scene, and the housekeeper smiles radiantly.It's interesting that the final illustration, the wedding feast, is left for the back cover of the book.

Glorious illustrations matched by singing language
This has got to be one of my favorite children's books.I don't know which is more impressive--the extravagant Bosch-inspired illustrations, or the witty verse with its precise rhymes and impeccable rhythm.At first it appears to be a too-precious book appreciated only by adults, but in fact children seem to love it too.My 3-year-old son, entranced by the jumping, singing langauge, loves it.He particularly enjoys all the talk ofcreepy crawlies and moster-animal hybrids.("Which one is the pickle-winged bat, Mama?")

It appears to be out of print at this time (9/22/03).No!!!!!!!!!!!It is an unbelievably good book, and it ought to be available.Anyone I've ever given it to as a gift has treasured it.Now we'll have to treasure our copies all the more.

Introducing Hieronymus Bosch.....
"Once upon a time there was an artist named Hieronymus Bosch who loved odd creatures.Not a day passed that the good woman who looked after his house didn't find a new creature lurking in a corner or sleeping in a cupboard..."So begins Nancy Willard's inventive picture book about this mysterious Dutch painter who filled his canvasses with fantastic and intriguing beings of all shapes and sizes.This poor housekeeper couldn't take it anymore."I'm quitting your service, I've had quite enough/of your three-legged thistles asleep in my wash,/of scrubbing the millstone you use for a dish,/and riding to shops on a pickle-winged fish."She packs her bags and leaves, but once out on her own, finds she misses all the chaos her employer's imagination brings to life, and comes flying back home on that pickle-winged fish to a happily-ever-after ending.....Ms Willard's clever, rhyming text has a medieval look and feel, and a lyrical cadence that begs to be read aloud.But it's Diane and Leo Dillons' amazing and evocative artwork that really makes this book stand out and sparkle.Youngsters will enjoy poring over and exploring the bold and engaging pictures of two headed dragons, dancing cucumbers, monkeys, and lizards, and beehives in boots... and are sure to find something new and exciting each and every time they open the book.Perfect for kids 5 and older, Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch is a creative and entertaining introduction and includes a short biography at the end to complete the story.This is definitely a picture book budding art lovers shouldn't miss.

Gorgeous and Enticing
This book is worth buying for the illustrations alone.Although the story is not terrifically compelling, and some of the words are too difficult for young children, the book as a whole is a pleasure - endless fun for reading aloud, quite enjoyable for adults and children both.

The rhymed verse tells of the woes of Bosch's beknighted housekeeper, who must do all the standard house chores while caring for - and being harrassed by - Bosch's collection of weird creatures.She decamps, but finds she can't live without Bosch or his menagerie.Naturally, they live happily ever after.Some of language here is a little advanced, and most kids will understand the book better if an adult helps read it the first few times through.

The real heart of the book is not the story but the menagerie - the fish with pickle wings, the dandified oven, the three-legged thistles, the assorted dragons and reptiles - that lives all over and through Bosch's house.The illustrations perfectly capture the peculiar creatures, making them oddly appealing as well as just odd, in lovely, richly-colored and highly detailed renderings.The special frame (the work of the artists' son) is also wonderful.

So, although the story is a little weak, this book as a whole is a treasure; it's a literate, intelligent work that acts a springboard to fun and imagination for readers of all ages.The hardbound edition makes an excellent gift for adults who are fans of Bosch or just fantasy, as well as for kids who are tired of cute little stories about Squishy-Wishy Squirrel. ... Read more

Product Description
Few paintings inspire the kind of intense study and speculation as Garden of Earthly Delights, the luminous triptych by Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch. The painting has been interpreted as a heretical masterpiece, an opulent illustration of the Creation and a premonition of the end of the world. In this new flexi-cover edition of the book, renowned art historian Hans Belting offers a radical reinterpretation of the work, which he sees not as apocalyptic, but utopian, portraying how the world would exist had the Fall not happened. Taking readers through each panel, Belting discusses various schools of thought and explores Bosch’s life and times. This fascinating study is an important contribution to the literature and theory surrounding one of the world’s most enigmatic artists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful plates, wonderful price
An excellent monograph on Bosch's most important, endlessly fascinating, painting. You can accept the distinguished author's interpretations or not but the plates are what counts. The size of the central panel is 6" wide by 7" high and the side panels 3" x 7" - too small to gain more than a sense of the work but the marvelous details, which I take to be actual size, are very clear with both the craquelure and pentimenti visible. The screen is so fine magnification is required to see it.In a way the illlustrations are better than being in Madrid: no one standing in front, nor extraneous noise, nor guard to shoo you back. My only wish is the format were larger, but then the cost would be so much greater. The current after market price of $1.55 represents an incredible bargain.

very detailed new images
...The plates in this book show fantastic detail. Every crack in the paint is visible in many of the closeups. These are new pictures taken after the painting, was cleaned & restored. Some of these same photos are also used in this poster "book" by the same publisher: ( # ISBN-10: 3791330705 & # ISBN-13: 978-3791330709, with a detachable poster of the painting, 24 pages, 16.3 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches).
...This book does not show all of his paintings. It is focused on the one in the title "Garden Of Earthly Delights".
...The theory is interesting.

Hieronymous Bosch
I love it. It shows all the paintings and information. I used it for a school project. It rocks. Go buy it .
IT ROCKS ... Read more

Product Description
This magnificent journey through the world of the enigmatic and popular artist provides a masterly analysis of Bosch’s artwork as well as convincing solutions to its apparent paradoxes.

For decades, Hieronymus Bosch’s brilliant, hallucinatory paintings have mystified viewers as well as art historians. Questions about the artist’s use of symbols, his preoccupation with man’s sinfulness and hell, and even details about the Bosch’s own life have been the source of speculation and frustration. Wilhelm Fraenger’s masterwork, the culmination of twenty years of meticulous research and scholarly detective work, reveals his fascinating discoveries about Bosch’s patrons and the secular and religious climate in which he painted. This classic monograph available for the first time from Prestel looks beyond the bizarre nature of Bosch’s images to decipher their true meanings and purpose. Written in an eminently readable and entertaining style, and illustrated with more than more than two hundred reproductions, the book invites readers to enter the painter’s phantasmagoric universe, and deepens their understanding of this often misunderstood artist. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

The Mysterious Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was a Dutch painter - and that is about all we really know about this man who left behind little in the way of history to judge him.We are left with only his paintings, and there are not very many of those, to try to figure out just who he was and from whence came his florid imagination.He is generally accepted by art historians to be the father of fantasy and medieval magical realism.Most of his works are in the manner of triptychs such as his most famous work 'The Garden of Earthly Delights', and seem to spill out of the canvas with endless imagination.Where he found the inspiration of the strange part animal/part human demons, or how he was able to paint some of the near naughty scenes he reveled in is up for conjecture.

This book is rather short in length: there is little to write about Bosch except form an vantage of the historical incident surround his rather nebulously defined time on earth.The plates of his paintings are rather bargain basement in quality - unusual for Taschen - but at least for a small amount of money we can indulge in the fantasy that played out on his canvases.This inexpensive book is worth the investment as an introduction to the mysterious Hieronymus Bosch!Grady Harp, September 10

Taschen are cynical
Do not buy this version, buy the original: Hieronymus Bosch (World of Art)
The original book is written by Walter Gibson.
Taschen republished this book by Gibson, but used an anagram of his name to create a fictional "Bosing". The copyright to the text published by Taschen is held by Thames & Hudson. One wonders what it was that prevented Walter Gibson asserting his "moral rights".
It is great to see that this publication by the cynical opportunists, Taschen, is no longer in print! ... Read more

Product Description
To accompany a major exhibition at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Amsterdam, 20 scholars and specialists on the 15th and 16th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch have been invited to contribute essays to this publication. Intended to cater to both a general interest readership as well as to art historians and researchers, the book includes significant new scholarship on the artist. The emphasis here is on objective, fundamental research so that the book will be of lasting relevance in the future, retaining its value amid diverse and evolving perceptions of Bosch and his work. Hieronymus Bosch was unique in creating works of symbolic fantasy using rich forms and colors in a way that makes him the ancestor, 500 years earlier, to the Surrealist painters of the early 20th century. This volume will help make his work accessible to a wide range of readers, as well as considerably advancing the scholarship.

Edited by Jos Koldewij and Bernard Vermet. Essays by Bernard Aikema, Hans Jansen, Peter Klein, Pilar Silva et. al.

100 b&w.
13 x 9.5 in. ... Read more

Product Description
Brilliant reproductions and magnified details of the newly restored Garden of Earthly Delights let readers enter Bosch’s fantastic world—and leave with a beautiful poster.

This poster-and-book combination provides clear evidence of why Bosch’s triptych continues to fascinate and intrigue us nearly five hundred years after its creation. The book offers stunningly close examination of the work after its recent restoration. Accompanied by a brief, fascinating essay that offers cultural and historical background on Bosch and his art, these numerous details allow readers to appreciate fully the breadth and magnificence of Bosch’s achievement. A detachable poster of the painting, suitable for framing, makes this package an extraordinary gift for the artist’s many devotees. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

beautiful,grotesque,beautiful,maybe heretical,and compact.
beautiful,grotesque,beautiful,wonderful, portable, beautiful,heretical, beautiful,& compact!

Nice reference
This painting inspired many theories and this book proposes one of them. It has many close-ups and excellent reproductions. Worth the price.

earthly delight

fantastic XL pictures
it is a great book and sorry that the publisher
will not reprint this book at the moment.
It is worth it.

delightful mini
This book is really mini, tiny and it works for a curious glimpse at this wonderful piece of art. It has no text and shows extracted parts of the piece that are zoomed in order to see the details. The printing is very good and colorful. ... Read more

Product Description
Continuously in print for more than 20 years, Abrams' Masters of Art series has always been known for its exceptional quality and value. Now these classic volumes devoted to the lives and works of the world's great painters have been newly redesigned and released in paperback for the first time. The comprehensive texts, written by distinguished art historians, provide incisive and informative portraits of the artists and perceptive commentaries on their works and achievements. Each book features 40 full-page, full-color plates accompanied by commentary on the facing page. Numerous black-and-white illustrations supplement the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Color Plates!
About three-quarters of this volume is dedicated to full-page color plates -- many showing details of larger works.(I'm writing about the hardcover version.)It's worth while to get this one used for the great plates even though it is but a survey of his work.

Scary
When I first saw the art of "Geronimo Bosch" I must have been 8 years old. The morbid way of expressing himself got stuck in my mind forever. You love him or hate him; I became a mesmerized after I had the opportunity to see his life work. The incredible detailed features in all of the creatures in his paintings made me give him the name "The Dali of Hell". The surrealism is so real that each individual creates its own story by every painting and makes you wonder if his imagination does not come from the nightmares of a madman. It is lack of education not to have had the change to lose yourself in this book and its incredible works of art. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses the life of the Dutch artist and explores his complex works.Amazon.com Review
This biography of 15th-century Dutch artist Hieronymus Boschis written and designed especially for young readers (ages10-15). While not much is known about the life of Bosch, author andscholar Gary Schwartz melds what little information there is withvivid descriptions about what life was like in the 1400s to convey, inparticular, a sense of how religion played a central role in theunderstanding of art at that time. Schwartz presents his own and otherscholars' interpretations of Bosch's symbol-rich paintings, but mostimportantly, he challenges young readers to draw their ownconclusions. The book is illustrated throughout with carefullyselected, enlarged details, and Bosch's most famous work, the multi-paneled Garden of Delights, is presented in a gorgeousgatefold. Although intended for a younger audience, this clothboundvolume is produced to the same exacting standards as any Abrams book:the paper quality and printing lavish, and no attention to detail hasbeen spared. Included are an index, a list of illustrations, and 36 ofthe 55 illustrations reproduced in full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great paintings by a great artist!
I just love the paintings in this book. I found it in the library, and the front is very eye-catching, I check it out right away. Earlier I have only seen his paintings, never knowing anything more about the artist than thathe isknown for his religious art. It was nice to know a bit about the mantoo, the little that is known today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good for art, much less so for theology
I did a double-take when this author attempted to explain details of Roman Catholicism as a key to grasping Bosch's paintings.

"The ceremony takes place at an altar that contains precious relics, which are real pieces either of the body of Christ or of a saint, or of something they have touched."

Ok, that's not Christian theology at all. Simply put, it is blasphemy. No editor caught this one?

Luckily, the author seems to be much better at writing about art than theology. However, as I am a neophyte about art (hence, my reading of this book) it makes me much less sure of the accuracy of the author's views after seeing such a huge blooper about something that even the most basic Christian knows.

I am enjoying the art info enough to give it this four star rating. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The book is very good, andthe paintings are interesting.
The book, " The Life and Works of HieronymusBosch ", is very good because I learned about themeanings of his paintings.This book doesn't have a lot of information about Bosch's life because in those day'speople didn't keep records but, you found out information through hispaintings. I found it interesting that Bosch's real name was Jerome VanAken. He got his first name from the Latin version of his name Hieronymus,and took his last name from his home town. Another interesting fact was,his paintings showed vivid images of the people in life. His paintingsshowed a fantasy of good and evil. Bosch did a lotof paintings where thehuman being is suffering or showing anger at being punished for a bad life.He paints about Christ and various saints such asAnthony, Jerome, andJames.They would guide people to a good life on Earth, so they could havea good life in Heaven. Bosch is a unexplainable man because, he had a worldof his own, through his artwork we get a glimpse of the man. ... Read more