What human vices are hidden in the details of the painting by Hieronymus Bosch "The Magician"

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

An owl is a companion of darkness, a monkey is cunning, frogs are attributes of devils. He hid these and other allegorical symbols in his mysterious painting, ridiculing the clergy. This is the "Magician" by Hieronymus Bosch, one of the most extraordinary artists of the 15th century.

About the artist

Hieronymus Bosch was born and lived his entire life in 's-Hertogenbosch (abbreviated as Den Bosch), the capital of the Dutch province of Brabant. His real surname was van Aken, as his family is from Aachen. It is likely that Bosch inherited his talent as a painter from his grandfather. The artist's grandfather, Jan van Aken, was also an artist. It is known that Jan had five sons, four of whom became painters. Bosch's father, Anthony van Aken, was an artist and advisor to the Brotherhood of Our Lady. In 1488, Hieronymus Bosch himself joined the highly respected Brotherhood of the Virgin Mary, a religiously conservative group.

The rich and imaginative symbolism of his work reveals Bosch's knowledge of alchemy, magic and mystical subjects. Popular scenes of the temptation of saints, biblical episodes and divine judgments were his favorite subjects in painting, rarely touching on traditional religious themes. Fantastic creatures, monstrous demons, mixed breeds and strange inventions fill his canvases. Every detail is presented with great attention to composition and color. Any underlying moralism and deep meaning of Bosch's work is softened by a friendly and humorous atmosphere.

Creation

The most famous work of Hieronymus Bosch is the triptych "Garden of Earthly Delights". This painting depicts paradise with Adam and Eve and many wonderful animals on the left panel, earthly plots with numerous nudes and amazing fruits and birds in the middle panel, and also hell with images of fantastic punishments of sinners on the left panel.

On the outer doors, the viewer sees the world created by God. Bosch never dated his paintings except for a few. Today, there are 25 works that definitely belong to Bosch's brush. The name of Hieronymus Bosch today is inextricably linked with the image of demons and flying fish, spider-like gremlins and terrible animals. But the figures in this picture even seem positively funny - this is "The Magician".

Magician

Unfortunately, the original painting "The Magician" by the Flemish artist Hieronymus Bosch has not survived. There are five versions of this work and one engraving. The painting closest to the original is part of the collection of the Municipal Museum in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which is kept in a safe and on an exclusively limited basis. On December 1, 1978, this painting was stolen from the museum and returned on February 2, 1979. The date of the original writing is also unknown, the approximate years 1475-1480 are the early period of Bosch's work. The composition of the painting is simple: in the middle is a table with cups, balls and a magic wand. Also a frog that seems to have jumped out of the mouth of the hero bent over the table. The second frog is about to jump out of the hero. On the left side there is a group of people - spectators. On the right is a magician with his tamed animals.

The plot of the picture

The painting is an example of eternal satire, reminiscent of how blind faith and stupidity destroy people. The caster, in particular, symbolizes heresy and the results of human ignorance. He obviously has hypnotic powers and performs spells with cups and balls, and also makes his little dog jump over a hoop. While the magician distracts the crowd, the blind pickpocket steals the wallet from the viewer with the frog in his mouth. Meanwhile, the child watches the frogs emerge from the victim's mouth with a curious, almost contented expression on their face. As if he understands what's going on and is laughing at the gullible adult. It is not immediately possible to see a frog at the left edge of the table, over which, in amazement, one of the spectators bent over. The child is fascinated by this whole situation, and the man with the frog in his mouth is an example of the Flemish proverb: "He who allows himself to be fooled by tricks loses his money and becomes a laughing stock for children." The magician had just convinced him and the rest of the audience that she magically jumped right out of the man's mouth. Thus, having completely captured the attention of the crowd, the charlatan allows his accomplice to empty the pockets of the audience.

Interpretations

The plot of this scene has two interpretations. On the one hand, this is a warning about fraudsters and a reproach to those ignorant who believe in cunning swindlers. Others trace, in focus with the frog, an appeal to the church rite of exorcism (casting out the devil). From this point of view, The Magician is not just a humorous scene, but a mockery of the clergy. Just as the fake wizard fools the heads of the audience, so the fake clergy forgive sins for money. This version is supported by the dress of the magician, which resembles a cardinal's cassock, and the attire of the thief is that of a Dominican monk.

Animal world in the picture

Animals and birds are used in the painting to symbolize human vices. At the waist of the magician hangs a small basket, in which is either a monkey or an owl. Let's consider both symbolic meanings. The owl, one of Bosch's favorite birds, is a frequent visitor to his canvases. The owl has always been ambiguous: on the one hand, it symbolized wisdom, on the other, a bird of darkness, a companion of witches during their night flights. Monkey in symbolic language meant cunning and envy.

Frogs and toads signified both positive and negative qualities. The frog-headed figure was revered in Ancient Egypt as the goddess of reviving life. Also, the frog has a deep connection with evil in medieval culture and sin in the Bible. Frogs are used in describing Bosch's hell, where they crawl over sinners and bite them. For some European church fathers, the frog and toad were disgusting creatures: they associated the croaking call of animals and the habitat of mud and ponds with devils and heretics.

Thus, Hieronymus Bosch in his mysterious film "The Magician" managed to create a comic plot and masterfully demonstrate the vices of society of that time: ignorance, stupidity, false clergy and deceit.