Dose of Art #126: Hieronymus Bosch – detail The Garden of Earthly Delights (c.1490 – 1510)

We have seen an example of real vs fantasy animals, of his attention to detail and now it is time for the almost psychedelic elements. Take a moment to think about what you see. Most of it is recognizable and we can even find some story for each group of figures. But what do they mean if they are all put together like this (and keep in mind this is only a small detail)? Again we see his almost painstakingly attention to details; shadows, reflections in the water, faces, even the individual trees. There is nothing comparable from this period (even his followers couldn’t reach this level of painting).