My last Blog invited Readers to be ready for some delicious fruit bowls.  However I must write this article first as I think it will lead very nicely into the aforesaid subject material.  Yes, yes I will explain in due course the thoughts that are floating around in my head as I write.

Hieronymous Bosch painted this triptych [of three interconnecting pieces], above, circa late 15th Century.  It is known as ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’.  As titles go it’s pretty fantastic and rather apt wouldn’t you say?

As an online Art Blogger I find it almost too extraordinary that ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ was painted, using oils, during an art period where we see countless examples of staid portraiture and reverent religious depictions.  Okay so Michelangelo had some nude paintings censored from time to time, yet on the whole most famous artists might fear the public reaction from wantonly erotic art works such as this by Bosch.

Looking from left to right this artwork is clearly a story of temptation, natural human boundaries, moral chastity and corruption resulting in potentially degenerative consequences.

Bosch [signed bolch] creates a busy scene for us to decipher and attempt to understand.  Without doubt Bosch is spiritually learned and aware of hidden thought processes that might incline minds towards potentially malevolent interactions.  The artist is taking a world view as can be seen from the outer wings of his artwork here:

One cannot help but imagine those spherical glass scenes once very popular for being gently shook to create falling snow over a winter landscape whilst being held in the palm of our hand.  Bosch is inviting us to look at the effect upon this world scene by opening up his painted oak doors to the inner garden we subsequently see.

‘Hey, this is the beginning, the middle and its end’. Powerful allegory.

‘The Secret Garden’ and ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ folded up as one.

Pastel tones and a cartoonish animated style make for an interesting masterpiece.  Especially when we consider that Bosch is able to mix his art style dependent upon the flavour required, his art Client or commission.  Most artists find their personal artistic style and stay with it.  Bosch was malleable to suit the desired concept or current art trend of his era.  It seems impossible that someone like Bosch would be anything other than prudish or reserved.

Continuing on from my previous Blog about Dali, it’s apparent that some artists border on the melancholy.  Whilst dark images or tales of woe may be necessary at times I certainly would not make it my subject material for too long.  I appreciate that some artists specialise in death, mutilation and the sadly grotesque.

Should every artist bring something uplifting to the artistic table?  Hopefully, even if dealing with macabre scenes.

This is where I believe Bosch has good balance in his work.  Despite the seriousness of this particular artwork it also uplifts our mood.  Happy colours and joyful merriment here:

Darker conceptualisations here.  Not least some incredible handling of natural light:

It’s reasonable to suppose that Bosch was no stranger to that which blighted Van Gogh.  Take a good look at this image immediately above and then check out the philosophically grinning Cheshire Cat from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland to see if you can find any interconnection.  Each work creatively brilliant of its own originality.  Paint and ink.

All this reminds me of a story by George Orwell and his compunction over ‘Shooting an Elephant’ that was clearly roguishly dangerous.  I digress.  Or perhaps I should say tigress?