Human Sin in Bosch's Garden of Delights
Hieronymus Bosch, a Nertherlandish painter is known for his fantastic visual interpretations of hell, death sin and folly. Little is known about Bosch except that he spent his life in the provincial town of s'Hertogenbosch and that he died an old man in 1516. His work, full of weird and seemingly irrational imagery has proved so difficult to interpret that much of it despite the remarkable insights contributed by recent research, remains unsolved. This study project will explore some of his more obvious symbolisms and relations to sin as portrayed in the bible.
The Piece in question is called The Garden of Earthly Delights", one of his most famous works, made in c.1500. It is comprised of three panels, each depicting a different scene. Of the three panels only the left has a clearly recognizable subject: The Garden Of Eden, wherein the Lord introduces to Adam, the newly created Eve. And it is on this panel where we begin.
This panel features the Garden of Eden, vested in its natural beauty, the tree of knowledge and of course the lord introducing Adam to Eve. And this in turn begins the sin that supposedly damned all of humanity: Original Sin. (Many religions have conflicting issues and views on the concept of original sin, but this will be explored with reference to the Catholic Church, and the bible.)
Adam's sin, as recounted in the Book of Genesis is sometimes called in Hebrew (translated: the first sin of man, or Adam). The account in Genesis (2-3), implies that Adam and Eve initially in communion with God. God warned Adam not to eat the fruit of "the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" (Genesis 2:15-17). The serpent persuaded Eve, who in turn persuaded Adam, to disobey this...
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...ve their sinful lives. It is the ground for strange and wicked displays of man, and even stranger displays of torture by demons, or ones own vices. In essence, this is the main theme of the painting; the dualistic battle between mans virtue and vice.
"Sin creates [an inclination] to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. Thus sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root."
Para. 1865, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994
Bibliography:
History of Religious Art Various Authors
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Earthly_Delights
Catechism of Catholic Church
Microsoft Encarta.
http://www.csuchico.edu/art/contrapposto/contrapposto98/pages/%20essays/rosa.html
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