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| Death and The Miser (1485-1490) by Hieronymus Bosch(1450-1516) |
About the Artist
Little is known about Bosch and only about thirty works have been identifiable as his, with no official dating. (Story)
Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516) was born in the town of 's-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc) in northern Brabant. His true name was Jheronimus van Aken. It is believed that his first painting instruction may have come from his father, Anthonius van Aken (d. c. 1478), who was also a painter. (Although not much is known about his father's works.) Bosch's later works that include fires raging in the background are believed to be contributed to the fire of June 13, 1463 that burned down his childhood home, that he might of witnessed as a kid. (Story)
Sometime between 1480-1481, Bosch married a wealthy merchant's daughter named, Aleid van der Mervenne. This marriage proved beneficial to Bosch as her wealth helped him establish his own studio and help make better connections to establish his name. The more successful he became, his works became darker, often depicting hell and demons.
Bosch's medium of choice was oil paints on panels of oak, and mainly painted religious figures and scenes. Although he was creating religious themed paintings, Bosch had his own unique, humorous twist that later became his renowned style.
The reinvention of Rome by the Catholic church can be seen in Bosch's work as their influence took over for Flemish painters. In fact, in 1488, Bosch joined the Brotherhood of My Lady, a Catholic religious association. It is believed most of his early commissions came from them, but it is unknown if any have survived. Bosch's surviving works portray Catholic views and figures, later focusing on the evil, further implementing the Catholic influence in his works. (Story)
About the Art
Following his usual medium, Bosch created this piece using oil paints on an oak panel. It is believed that Death and The Miser was the leftwing of an altarpiece. The other two panels are noted as missing, and might have gave more depth to the piece, such as explaining the armor in the foreground. (NGA) This piece has a balance of elements of good and evil-heaven and hell. Demons and fire represent hell, while the Angel, crucifix, and divine light represent heaven. It is believed the middle man in green, is the Miser before his time on his deathbed.
Death and the Miser was heavily influenced by The Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying) and Netherlandish traditions of embracing death as it is inevitable, "remember death/that you will die", "vanitas or memento mori." (ArtT)
Art Analysis
The Angel is trying to save the Miser's soul from an eternal damnation from his life's greed. Whereas, multiple demons are lurking in his room waiting to cash in on his sins and greed. Ready to taste his tainted soul, after Death takes him out.
I believe that the man in green is indeed the Miser at an earlier time in his life, and that the missing panels might show his life at even earlier stages. The Miser is shown "hoarding" his wealth, while holding a rosary, this can be taken as hypocritical since it could of gone to better things than a hidden sack. However, I believe that he is holding the rosary in prayer as he pays for his sins from his youth. The rat-demon holding the sack, might represent his misdeeds and seems to be collecting on them. While the demon under the bed comes forth with the ledger for them to see if he has met his quota to avoid his sinful punishment.
The Angel is desperately trying to get the Miser's attention, willing him to look up at the crucifix and divine light up in the window. Instead the Miser is focused on the temptation that a demon brings to him on his deathbed, and smirking Death at the door. The amount of demons in the room indicates that he is not set for a holy path in the afterlife, he has too much sin weighing him down. The demon above, with his lantern of hellfire, is ready to lead the Miser to his final resting place.
What drew me into this piece was the amount of figures and the warm colors. The warmth of the reds/oranges captivated me, making me want to sit on the bed and observe closer. The amount of demons grabbed my attention as well, making me want to know more as to what is going on for there to be that many. How much did this man sin? How many people did he deceive, while hoarding wealth? Did the other possible panels answer these questions? These are questions that I am left, and while I may never find answers to them, I am grateful to Bosch and the piece for inspiring them.
Another set of elements that I love about this piece, is the use of lines and shapes. The closer you look at the painting, the more you can discern shapes, curves, and the lines that connect them together to create an image. They are subtle, but beautifully blended nonetheless. Something about the simplicity is comforting and inviting. It eliminates some of the fear factor in death, as it is inevitable anyways.
If this was a piece available for me to own a copy of it, especially the full intended piece, I would love to have it.
The following link is a neat short video posted by the National Gallery of Art on Facebook, bringing the painting to life:
Works Cited
Kress Collection, Samuel H. “Death and the Miser.” Nga.gov, 2016, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41645.html
The Art StoryThe Art Story. “Hieronymus Bosch.” The Art Story, 2018, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/bosch-hieronymus/
TheorTheoria, Art. “Death and the Miser.” Art-Theoria.com, Mar. 2020, https://www.art-theoria.com/painting-of-the-month/death-and-the-miser/
I am appealed that behind the art you choose for this blog was "Demons and fire represent hell, while the Angel, crucifix, and divine light represent heaven. It is believed the middle man in green, is the Miser before his time on his deathbed." before I read your blog I just looked at the painting trying to understand what the artist was trying to tell in the art, and It was challenging but I got a little bit of an idea. and you explained it very well!
ReplyDeleteI liked your exploration of this painting very much, it helped put things into perspective easier. Bosch's paintings can sometimes be chaotic and harp to interpret at first glance, so it was nice being able to walk through it. Now, one interpretation that I thought of for the Miser holding a rosary could be a subtle dig at the Catholic Church. A common criticism around that time was the church was too greedy, what with things like indulgences (the act of paying money to the church so you would have less of a punishment after you die). Perhaps this was Bosch's way of saying that the wealthy that hoard money try to buy their way into heaven, but the demons that he welcomes through sin come for him anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe piece you chose was very striking to me. The shape and size caught me off guard and drew in my attention. The added incomplete story presented in the piece is fascinating. The connection to religion seems to be a core aspect of the painting and therefore is very connected to the nature of the northern Renaissance with the Reformation taking place. While this piece in particular does not seem to particularly depict any particular concept of the reformation, the religious ties and the time period connect the two by association. Thanks for the share, your analysis was very insightful.
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