Hieronymus Bosch was one of the most original and inventive artists of the Renaissance in Northern Europe, who was active as a painter in the Netherlands a few generations after Jan van Eyck. Yet Bosch's art is still very much bound up in the a medieval Christian world view, particularly in relation to the theme of Last Judgment. In this painting of "Death and a Miser," Bosch shows up a man on his deathbed who has not fully prepared himself for the next life. What details stand out to you as significant? How does Bosch use the theme of Last Judgment and the model of the Gothic Cathedral to structure this pictorial narrative?
The number of "devils" or "demons" stands out to me as significant details in this painting. As this man is laying on his deathbed, the devilish creatures seem to surround the man almost to tempt him in some way. For example, the devilish creature next to the man in his bed is holding out a bag of something - possibly gold, money, or other riches. The fact that the man in bed is naked illustrates how he must not have prepared for the next life. There are all sorts of items from what seems to be from his daily life, as they are laying around his room, in the painting surrounding his bed. There seem to be other treasures in the trunk located in front of his bed with bowl of food/fruit, a silver cup, a book, and a spear. There is also cloth/clothing a strewn on the ground, as well as a a helmet and sword. This man seems as if he was struck with death suddenly in the middle of his life, after all it is basically laying around him. There is also an angel on the man's right shoulder (god and heaven are traditionally on the right). This angel is pointing towards Christ crucified on the cross in the small window. There is only a small ray of light shining from Christ to the man. It seems as if the angel is trying to point the man in the direction of "good" towards heaven and Christ despite all the temptation that surrounds him.
ReplyDeleteThe shape of the room is reminiscent of the Gothic Cathedral due to the pointed ceilings. There is also only one small window letting in very little light. In fact, the entire bedroom is relatively dark and full of shadow. This could possibly be Bosch commentating on the fact that though society has stepped into the new Era of the Renaissance (light), society is still stuck in this medieval Christian world view. His commentary could suggest that society has not moved away from poor judgment rather than moving listening to Christ and not the corruption occurring in the Catholic Church at the moment. (Hence why the room is depicted after the Gothic Cathedral and is filled with devilish creatures and darkness.
it is definitely true that even though Bosch had a "Renaissance" sensibility in his approach to artistic invention (very evident in paintings like "The Garden of Earthly Delights") he was still working very much with a medieval world view in which divine salvation and punishment were central concerns, particularly in relation to death and preparation for the next life.
DeleteWhen looking at Bosch's "Death and a Miser" I immediately notice all of the red tones that are used throughout the piece. This palate choice could be attributed to evoke a feeling of representing blood. By evoking blood, Bosch is directly referencing the Last Judgement as well as the crucifixion of Christ. This connection between Christ and this piece is also present through the small depiction of the crucifixion in the small window on the top left corner of the piece. This may show that this man, while he will be killed, possibly by an arrow (because two of the skeletons are holding arrows, one by the door, and one above his head), he will die with honor, like Christ. In this piece, there is also an angle seemingly lifting the man depicted up to and out the window so he could ascend to the heavens. There are also numerous skeleton creatures that are assisting this man in preparing for hid death. One is handing him a bag of things he will presumably need in the after life, and another is packing his belongings into a chest in front of his bed. Besides these two creatures, there are many other smaller animal creature looking things that seem to be helping in preparing him for the next life.
ReplyDeleteFinally, Bosch places this scene in front of what appears to be a long never ending barrel vault. This vault, while it appears to be like a dark tunnel leading to a dark and unhappy place, it definitely evokes a sense of connection to the Gothic Cathedrals in which vaulting was so prevalent. Bosch uses this vault to frame his piece and reference the holiness and worship that takes place in a cathedral. This along with the reference to Christ could be suggesting that this man that is being depicted is a holy and respected man.
Absolutely, the structure of the painting is very much reminiscent of the Last Judgment with the two paths represented by the angel and the devil on opposite sides of the miser, and the promise of salvation represented by the Crucifix in the window!
DeleteIn this painting of "Death and a Miser," Bosch includes a few details that seem particularly significant in relation to the common Christian theme of the Last Judgment. Firstly, the composition is divided into three main sections, which serves to isolate the characters into specific narratives. Three sections also are consistent with the way last judgment pieces are set up: a section for the good in heaven, the bad in hell, and the Trinity, Mary, and the Saints in the top center. In the first section that ends right before the bed canopy, we have the “Gothic Cathedral structure” in the form of a slightly pointed archway that slowly recedes back into space. This structure also morphs into a bed and canopy in a clever way, taking us through the composition and insinuating that the scenario is taking place “in the church” so to speak (a common occurrence in the church). There is also a tiny window of light that holds a crucified Christ and with a blade of light, like another arrow being held by the creatures of death, taking us into the next section, as if Christ also does not condone such actions. The demon in the top right is peering downward with another arrow, both his look downward and the arrow pulls us down further.
ReplyDeleteIn the middle section we have death personified as a robed skeleton with an arrow ready to pierce the woman in bed until she surrenders a bag of money, as if she and her husband?/man friend? are trying to buy more time from death. The angel also looks to be imploring on their behalf. The torturing of individuals by personified Death/Satan/devils is also common in Last Judgment themes, as well as angels arguing on the damned’s behalf. Finally, the strong vertical lines of the bed structure take us down to the Miser who could be a wealthy individual, posing as orthodox because of the prayer beads and silver key hanging from his belt, yet handing a small demon gold coins to stop Death from coming. It also relates to themes of buying your way into heaven, general corruption in the church, etc. that is usually persecuted in Last Judgment pieces as relating to the seven deadly sins. In the final section of the composition, we see a small demon peering outward beyond the viewer, making me think that it is trying to engage with other people in a similar position as this man. To sort of “seek them out” I suppose.
great analysis, and especially salient point about the comment that Bosch makes on "buying your way into heaven" and the false pursuit of worldly wealth as opposed to spiritual salvation
DeleteThere are several details in the painting that tell me that the man has not fully prepared himself for the next life. Primarily, he is naked and vulnerable; what appear to be clothes and objects from his life on Earth, like a battle helmet (perhaps a symbol of lost nobility) lay in the foreground. A devil figure seems about to pounce on these items and rob them. There is minimal lighting in the room, like that of a Gothic Cathedral, and the light of Christ appears to be present but not strong enough to reach the man. What I find interesting is the man’s gaze; he appears to only see Death, personified by the figure coming out of the doorway on the left. The man seems blind to the angel, though the angel is trying to physically guide him to see the light. Perhaps this is a metaphor for how the man lived his life, in which God attempted to save him but he ignored Him. There are so many devils around the man that a hellboud death feels inescapable. Like in the Last Judgment convention, the center row of the painting presents evil on the left and salvation on the right.
ReplyDeletenice observation about the miser's focus on death and physical turning away from the angel who is attempting to guide his sights to the Crucifix above
DeleteBosch's paintings are generally highly stylized and recognizable. This painting also embodies what a typical "Bosch painting" looks like. He likes to use pastel colors, and figures are mostly elongated in his painting. In this particular painting, in order to present the theme of a person who has not well prepared for his afterlife, Bosch included both angels and devils in this painting. The central figure is facing towards the Christ, and an angel attempts to help him from his back. However, the number of devils in this painting significantly exceeds the number of angels or representations of the heaven. The man is completely surrounded by devil, and his room is almost invaded by these grotesque creatures. The man's face seems innocent and confused, as if he does not know anything about the existence of the devils in his room and the old man who tries to steal precious objects from the box. This painting may refer to the man's poor judgment before he dies and imply that he may not be able to get into the heaven as a result of his blindness and unwisdom.
ReplyDeleteindeed, there seems to be little hope for the miser to achieve salvation, especially because the man reaching into the box at the end of the bed also represents the miser in his state of hoarding money during his life, for which he is paying on his deathbed
DeleteFirst of all, compared to the many paintings we have seen so far, this one really stands out because of its illustration-like quality. The textured, drawing-like style of this piece combined with the fantastical elements used in the image's narrative really reminds me of modern day illustrations.
ReplyDeleteAnalyzing the many details of this piece, it looks as if the skeleton holding an arrow is sneakily entering the room to surprise the resident as the door is only partly open and the skeleton is leaning with only one foot through the gap, suggesting that the visit is unexpected and the man is not fully prepared for where he will be taken.The man has his hands raised as if to halt the oncoming creatures, and the angel at his side seems to direct the miser to the light shining from the window where Christ is hanging on a cross, where he could find salvation. It also looks like the angel might be stalling for time with his eyes raised at the demon above him and his hand outstretched as if to stop this event from occurring. The angel and demons combined with the presence of Christ relate this miser's situation to the story of the Last Judgment, suggesting that by spending his life hoarding his wealth, shown by the creature emerging from the bedside holding what is most likely a money bag, he is now in this situation where he is caught by surprise surrounded by creatures who will sweep him away from heaven's gates. The tiny size of Christ in the window, especially compared to all the other deathly creatures, can also be symbolic of how little a role faith has played in the miser's life. It is about the same size or smaller than the moneybag, suggesting the miser has spent more time concerned with money than being a good Christian. Also, the high placement of Christ in the window in the uppermost corner of the room reflects the ideas of Gothic Cathedrals where height and light are seen as a way to get closer to Christ. Furthermore, the red color that pervades the piece, engulfing the entire room, can also be seen as a reference to Hell and the burning flames in which the miser will be sent during his Last Judgment.
particularly nice observation about the hieratic structure of the painting, which much like a Gothic interior places the heavenly sphere in the upper register (even despite the devil peering over the canopy of the bed)
DeleteOne significant detail I notice is the light coming from Jesus on the cross in the corner. The light coming from Jesus leads to the dying man on the bed. I notice that there are many more devils than angels represented in the piece.
ReplyDeleteYou can see elements of the Gothic Cathedral in the pointed arch at the top of the building and the pointed arch window. The ledge at the bottom of the painting can indicate the next room is separate from the area where you are standing (as a viewer). Therefore, you can deduce the chamber you are looking at is the choir and the viewer is standing in the nave. The use of the Gothic Cathedral adds a religious context and therefore emphasizes the element of the Last Judgement.
The Last Judgement is clearly emphasized in the middle on the dying man. On the right is Heaven and the left is Hell. This is shown through the angel enticing Jesus on the right and the devil enticing the dying man on the left.
the ledge in the foreground does create an interesting division of the space -- if Eva is right that the bedroom is meant to parallel the choir of a church, then it would emphasize even more the corruption of the miser's activities in counterpoint to the inherent sacrality of the cathedral-like space
DeleteI immediately notice a direct allusion to gothic cathedral doors. We saw in the model of the gothic cathedral that the right door represented a doorway to heaven and the left was a doorway to Hell. In Hieronymus Bosch’s representation of “Death and a Miser," there is an angel depicted on the right side of the composition, whilst evil creatures lurk into the frame from the left. This is a direct allusion to the ideas presented in the Gothic cathedrals portrayal of the last judgement.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely, in addition to the vertical axis of the painting, there is a strong division between left and right represented by the figures of death and the angel
DeleteThe first thing that my eyes follow is, oddly enough, the depth of the painting. It is not the foreground that initially gets my attention. My eyes follow, as though led by guides on a path, the pointed (arch?) ceiling of the painting, so reminiscent of the gothic cathedral's architecture. Immediately this places us in a religious context, which makes complete sense when the viewer's attention then grabs onto the most representative religious symbol, sitting neatly in the window (another element of gothic cathedrals): Christ's crucifixion. The diminutive Christ (along with the light from the window) is starkly contrasted by the oppressive atmosphere of death and hell in the rest of the painting. By size, detail, and quantity, the symbols of hell in this "last judgement" of sorts greatly outnumber and outweigh those of heaven. In this sense, the viewer is led to believe that not only is this man not ready for Death, but as a result of this unpreparedness for the next life, he is creating his own fate in hell. This is reinforced by the old man's deathly complexion and how most fiendish characters in the painting are looking toward him, the center of the painting. Meanwhile, we get a hint of his unpreparedness for this fate by his longing look toward the miniscule christ in the window.
ReplyDeleteNick makes a good point about the emphasis on the painting's depth -- it is another way that Bosch employs the space of a cathedral interior to create the narrative of the miser's last hours
DeleteThe layers and depth of Hieronymus Bosch's Death and the Miser really stands out to me. Unlike many medieval and renaissance paintings we studied before, this painting has clear foreground, middle ground and background. The composition divides the painting into different section (different narratives). Other details that are significant include the arch in the background of the painting and on the window which reminds me of the pointed arch in Gothic Cathedrals. Bosch used this arch shape to frame the painting and also leading the viewers' eye into the never-ending darkness in the background. Also, A Crucifix with Jesus hangs in the window at the top with a beam of light coming into the room towards the miser. The scale of the Crucifix with Jesus is very small which might suggest the idea of the invisible divine becoming visible.
ReplyDeleteinteresting idea about how the Crucifix makes visible the implied invisible presence of the divine (via the beam of light) -- but it is also true that the background darkness outweighs any hopeful sense of redemption for the miser
DeleteIt is interesting how at first glance, the devils are blatantly noticeable; however, once the painting is observed carefully, an angel facing a glimmer of light shining from a figure of Christ is visible. I think Bosch was trying to tell a narrative of how although the angel attempts to convince the miser into following Christ and entering heaven, the miser chooses to fall into the devil's temptations (shown by the figure handing a bag of goods). The fully dressed man seems to be the miser before his deathbed, when he chose to live for wealth and self-prosperity. On judgement day, he is bare with nothing; the riches he sought for in his worldly life are now gone to waste. In fact, they have led him to hell instead of heaven. By illustrating the miser on his deathbed as small and fragile compared to the skeleton (representing death), Bosch emphasizes the miser's helplessness. I think he wanted to impact his viewers of the importance and necessity of following Christ.
ReplyDeletegreat analysis, Esther, especially about the juxtaposition of the miser while still alive and hoarding his money vs. his evident frailty and vulnerability at the hour of death
DeleteThe layout of the church is very symbolic of the Gothic cathedral due to its pointed arches and darkness. In a Gothic cathedral, God's presence is also implied through the "cross" layout of the cathedral. This idea is shown by the small form of Christ hanging on a cross at the top left corner of the room.
ReplyDeleteBosch tried to depict heaven and hell through the light and dark, and also angels and devils. From Christ emanates a small ray of light, which the angel next to Bosch tries to grasp. The ray of light fails to reach Bosch, and the angel is distracted by the devil who is peering down onto the bed. The devil is situated on a dark tunnel-like backdrop which seems to depict hell.
The ray of light is continued on by the shadow of an arrow that a skeleton clothed in linen is holding. But, this also fails to reach the man. This unreachability seems to symbolize Bosch's rejection of his death. The different elements around the bed and room showcase the man in his life on earth. The suit of armor could symbolize his role as a solider.
the suit of armor is an interesting inclusion in the foreground as another example of worldly trappings (like collected riches) that are left behind at death
DeleteChrist hanging on the cross is probably one of the most significant details in this work of art, as well as the single angel that is in the beam of light coming from Christ. I think this signifies the hope that is present; even though it is small in comparison to the many devils, it is still there.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely, the elements of the Crucifix and angel are key, though it is interesting how long it takes to find them amidst the details of the various devils and worldly goods
DeleteI love the piece because as a highly symbolic religious art it still has vivid figuring and striking details. This shows how medieval style of religious portrayal gradually shifts to the more expressive renaissance style.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Judgment determines whether one will spend the rest of eternity in heaven or hell and this judgment rests upon the choices one makes during one’s lifetime. In the scene Bosch has depicted, the Miser is presented with several choices with the potential of landing him in heaven or hell depending on what he picks. In the upper right corner is a crucifix on a window with a light beaming down which an angel on the right is gesturing toward—likely a gesture of encouragement to choose the righteous path. Toward the center of the painting we see a demon offer the miser a bag of gold, tempting the miser to sinfully indulge. In the foreground we see a figure reaching toward a box, reminiscent of Pandora’s box, which is alluring, yet ultimately holds negative consequences. There are also many symbols of death in the painting (the demons, the rat under the bed the figure of death pointing toward him), reminding him that death—the final judgment—is encroaching quickly upon him; thus, these choices are dire, as their consequences will sit with him for the rest of eternity.
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