This final seminar paper researches the artistic creation of Hieronymus Bosch, who is considered highly influential in the history of art, due to his innovations in motif and style in the field of painting. The paper focuses on the famous painting The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things (Prado Museum, Madrid) with the well known moralistic theme, which warns against sinfulness and encourages a moral lifestyle. The late 15th century, during which the work was created, is a time of radical social change and shock, the time of reformation and millenium-long anticipation of the end of the world. The work deals with all of these social circumstances, while at the same time warning the observer, through means of presenting the deadly sins in connection to the four last things, of the importance of moral behaviour and faith in God, which should act as guidance for every individual. In addition to the happenings of that era, Bosch also uses different prior works, which speak about the importance of religion and morality in the life of every Christian, as the basis of his work of art. The motif in combination with the fantastical quality and immitation of compositional patterns, characteristic of the Dutch artist, has left an impression on other renaissance painters aswell.
|
