Hieronymus Bosch (born 1450 approx - died 1516, Dutch)

Formal Interpretation (pay close attention to creative descriptive language and art terms)
elements / principles / materials / techniques /style / symbols

• The Garden of Earthly delights was painted with oil on wood panels in the form of a triptych between 1490-1510. 
• Unsettling inversions of SCALE dominate the center and right panels. What meaning does this create? 
• Bosch's style was said to be influenced by the RENAISSANCE in the way he paid such careful attention to detail and the realistic portrayal of the world around him. eg. His beastly, devil-like creatures are constructed from close observation of parts of real animals. He has been recognised as a fore-runner to the 20th century movement of SURREALISM. 
• Bosch arranges objects and figures vertically to imply some depth to the scene. They reduce in scale to give the feeling of them receding into the distance. 
• Bosch's application of oil paint was revolutionary for his time. He applied rough layers of paint in a style that came to be called IMPASTO. 
• The composition of the central panel is symmetrically balanced. The complementary colours of red and green dominate this panel and draw emphasis to the red fruit as an important symbol of meaning. 
• The bright colours and repetitious detail of carefully painted flesh provide a beautiful feast for the eyes. Bosch employs repeated tiny dot shapes to also create pattern evoking 'a luscious jewel-like surface'.