As a bit of a museum purist, I don’t usually like to visit museums filled with reproductions of an artist’s work, but I made an exception this time, because how can you visit the home town of the fantastical artist Hieronymus Bosch (Jheronimus Bosch) and not visit the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center where they bring this enigmatic artist to life.
The Jheronimus Bosch Art Center is housed in what was St. Jacob's Church (built in 1907) and the structure and decor of the church remains partly intact, to add a beautiful setting for this museum.
The museum is filled with models of his crazy creatures, and after a film introduces the artist to you, an elevator takes you to the upper floors where you can explore original-size exact photo reproductions of his artwork including triptychs which you can open and close yourself.
Jheronimus Bosch (ca. 1450-1516) was a late medieval painter who has enjoyed great fame in his day with his wildly fantastic paintings in which he portrayed the fight between good and evil with hellish scenes of monsters and devils.
Though he mostly signed his work with the name Jheronimus Bosch, he was actually called Jheronimus van Aken. His ancestors came from Aachen, Germany, and established themselves as painters in Nijmegen in what is now the Netherlands. His grandfather, Jan van Aken, migrated to the town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (commonly called Den Bosch) to paint, bringing his family with him and this is where Jheronimus “Bosch” was born and grew to be a painter as well.
Though he mostly signed his work with the name Jheronimus Bosch, he was actually called Jheronimus van Aken. His ancestors came from Aachen, Germany, and established themselves as painters in Nijmegen in what is now the Netherlands. His grandfather, Jan van Aken, migrated to the town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (commonly called Den Bosch) to paint, bringing his family with him and this is where Jheronimus “Bosch” was born and grew to be a painter as well.
Little is known of Bosch’s life or training except that his father and brothers were also painters. He left behind no letters or diaries, and what has been identified has been taken from brief references to him in the municipal records of 's-Hertogenbosch.
Early art scholars (17th c.) such as Felipe de Guevara believed Bosch’s work was created merely to titillate and amuse, filled with dreams and nightmares, much like the grotesques of the Italian Renaissance.
Early art scholars (17th c.) such as Felipe de Guevara believed Bosch’s work was created merely to titillate and amuse, filled with dreams and nightmares, much like the grotesques of the Italian Renaissance.
Today, modern scholars make the case that Bosch’s art reflects the orthodox religious belief systems of his age. His paintings concentrate on the battle between Heaven and Hell, and depictions of sinful humanity are consistent with those of late medieval beliefs.
Bosch was a member of the deeply religious group, The Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady and the town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch was religiously progressive, therefore, modern art historians have argued that Bosch’s art was inspired by heretical points of view and used his paintings to satirize, teach and denounce the abuses and scandalous behavior of the clergy.
Bosch was a member of the deeply religious group, The Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady and the town of ‘s-Hertogenbosch was religiously progressive, therefore, modern art historians have argued that Bosch’s art was inspired by heretical points of view and used his paintings to satirize, teach and denounce the abuses and scandalous behavior of the clergy.
When you are finished exploring the artwork, the elevator will take you to the top floor of the 40 meters high tower where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch and its cathedral.
Three years before Jheronimus Bosch passed away an astronomical clock was placed in the not yet completely finished St. John’s cathedral. This clock would later be known as “The play of the Last Judgment”. A reproduction created from fragments, contemporary chronicles and traveler journals sits in the first floor hall and provides an animated show upon the hour.
In case you didn’t know, an astronomical clock shows real time, solar time and star time along with the lunar time and the phases of the moon, the zodiac and the position of the moon and sun in the zodiac. There is also a “calendar wheel” which shows the days of the week, the twelve months and the Religious Holidays and Saint days. Pretty impressive for the 16th century!
In case you didn’t know, an astronomical clock shows real time, solar time and star time along with the lunar time and the phases of the moon, the zodiac and the position of the moon and sun in the zodiac. There is also a “calendar wheel” which shows the days of the week, the twelve months and the Religious Holidays and Saint days. Pretty impressive for the 16th century!
Copies of the drawings of Jheronimus Bosch are on display on the ground floor also, and you can really see how he came up with his un-real characters and how he elaborated upon and refined them in his drawings.
My favorite part of the museum was the life size vignet of the painter in his studio and you can walk right into it and imagine what it would have been like to be a painter in the 1500’s! It really brings the world of Jheronimus Bosch to life and the space just outside this realistic studio is used for school groups and art activities.
There may be no “real” Hieronymus Bosch paintings at the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, but it is well worth a visit if you wish to understand Den Bosch and its famous artistic son!
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