Comparison Of The Garden Of Earthly Delights By Hieronymus Bosch

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Although The Garden of Earthly Delights, a triptych painted by the Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch on the turn of the 15th century, and the Psalter map, a 1262 mappa mundi found in a collection of psalms (hence the name Psalter) may not seem to have much in common, perhaps their biggest similarity is their goal: a representation of the world, an ambition that is all the more visible in its large scope. In this analysis, I will analyse and then compare the visual elements of both works and also their purpose and context of their creation, although this will likely be to a limited extent as there is scarce information on both the Psalter map and Bosch’s triptych.

The first and foremost similarity among the two works is the subject they depict (albeit somewhat different contexts of their creation yields disparate interpretations). The Psalter map, its dimensions approximately 15x10 cm, is situated on a piece of parchment.(the fact that it was a part of a book and as such protected by its covers is the likely reason for its relatively good condition) The circular map is in the lower centre part of the piece of parchment, overlooked by Jesus Christ, clothed in a red mantle and a blue robe, …show more content…

The busy triptych is (obviously) divided into three parts: the first and the third are together the same size as the middle one, making it possible to close it and reveal the outer part of the painting, which however, because of limited space, will not be discussed here. The three scenes depicted on the three panels are likely in chronological order, an interpretation that is consistent with the biblical sequence of events. The left panel shows Eden, the middle the titular garden of earthly delights, and the right one depicts

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