Hieronymus Bosch: The Complete Paintings and Drawings
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Hieronymus Bosch: The Complete Paintings and Drawings Details
From Library Journal Fifteenth-century Dutch painter Bosch is known for complex panels featuring fantastic portrayals of demons and fools. This volume, published to accompany a recent exhibition in Rotterdam, includes all of the paintings attributed to Bosch by current scholarly consensus, as well as all surviving drawings linked to Bosch and his workshop. An overview and one or two details from each painting are reproduced, along with a generous selection of related artwork by contemporaries and artists who have been influenced by Bosch including Salvador Dal!, Robert Gober, Bill Viola, and others. The essays by European art scholars discuss what is known about Bosch and his cultural milieu, along with the likely meanings of his paintings and the residual interpretive mystery that has intrigued scholars and the public for centuries. The prose tends to be dry and a bit detailed for general readers. Recommended for larger public libraries and specialized collections. Kathryn Wekselman, MLn, Cincinnati Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more From Booklist Bosch's panoramic, otherworldly paintings writhe with legions of strange creatures doing strange things, dense and troubling scenes that require the sort of sharp-focus plates and enlargements this scholarly but crisply written and enlightening monograph, now the Bosch book, has in abundance. Koldeweij and his coauthors cite all that isn't known about the enigmatic Bosch, including his birth date, dates for his paintings, or proof that all works attributed to him are actually his. Yet they are able to present a vivid depiction of Bosch's hometown, from which he extracted his name and in which he was counted among the elite, and clear evidence of his "immense erudition," the source of his exotic, often diabolical images. As keen as the book's historical and technical sections are, its most enthralling passages contain the authors' insights into Bosch's original and satiric worldview and cosmic iconography. Fascinated by nature, eroticism, "wickedness and punishment," Bosch, the first artist in his milieu to address social issues, has profoundly influenced all who followed. Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
This book was deceptive. The large size led me to hope for large reproductions, but NO, each one is only half a page or smaller because there's TEXT on the other half! Bosch needs to be seen in detail and postcard size pics just don't let you SEE much. But I kept it because the return postage and the restocking fee made it not worth returning. It's just OK.