Bosch and Bruegel : From Enemy Painting to Everyday Life

**A bold new interpretation of two northern Renaissance masters**In this visually stunning and much anticipated book, acclaimed art historian Joseph Koerner casts the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel in a completely new light, revealing how the painting of everyday life was born from what seems its polar opposite: the depiction of an enemy hell-bent on destroying us.Supreme virtuoso of the bizarre, diabolic, and outlandish, Bosch embodies the phantasmagorical force of painting, while Bruegel, through his true-to-life landscapes and frank depictions of peasants, is the artistic avatar of the familiar and ordinary. But despite their differences, the works of these two artists are closely intertwined. Bruegel began his career imitating Bosch's fantasies, and it was Bosch who launched almost the whole repertoire of later genre painting. But Bosch depicts everyday life in order to reveal it as an alluring trap set by a metaphysical enemy at war with God, whereas Bruegel shows this enemy to be nothing but a humanly fabricated mask. Attending closely to the visual cunning of these two towering masters, Koerner uncovers art history’s unexplored underside: the image itself as an enemy.An absorbing study of the dark paradoxes of human creativity, __Bosch and Bruegel__ is also a timely account of how hatred can be converted into tolerance through the agency of art. It takes readers through all the major paintings, drawings, and prints of these two unforgettable artists—including Bosch’s notoriously elusive __Garden of Earthly Delights__, which forms the core of this historical tour de force. Elegantly written and abundantly illustrated, the book is based on Koerner’s A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, a series given annually at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCPlease note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size.

A bold new interpretation of two northern Renaissancemasters In this visually stunning and much anticipatedbook, acclaimed art historian Joseph Koerner casts the paintings ofHieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel in a completely new light,revealing how the painting of everyday life was born from whatseems its polar opposite: the depiction of an enemy hell-bent ondestroying us. Supreme virtuoso of the bizarre, diabolic, andoutlandish, Bosch embodies the phantasmagorical force of painting,while Bruegel, through his true-to-life landscapes and frankdepictions of peasants, is the artistic avatar of the familiar andordinary. But despite their differences, the works of these twoartists are closely intertwined. Bruegel began his career imitatingBosch's fantasies, and it was Bosch who launched almost the wholerepertoire of later genre painting. But Bosch depicts everyday lifein order to reveal it as an alluring trap set by a metaphysicalenemy at war with God, whereas Bruegel shows this enemy to benothing but a humanly fabricated mask. Attending closely to thevisual cunning of these two towering masters, Koerner uncovers arthistory's unexplored underside: the image itself as an enemy. Anabsorbing study of the dark paradoxes of human creativity,Bosch and Bruegel is also a timely account of how hatredcan be converted into tolerance through the agency of art. It takesreaders through all the major paintings, drawings, and prints ofthese two unforgettable artists-including Bosch's notoriouslyelusive Garden of Earthly Delights, which forms the coreof this historical tour de force. Elegantly written and abundantlyillustrated, the book is based on Koerner's A. W. Mellon Lecturesin the Fine Arts, a series given annually at the National Galleryof Art, Washington. Published in association with the Center forAdvanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art,Washington, DC Please note: All images in this ebook are presentedin black and white and have been reduced in size.

A bold new interpretation of two northern Renaissance masters In this visually stunning and much anticipated book, acclaimed art historian Joseph Koerner casts the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel in a completely new light, revealing how the painting of everyday life was born from what seems its polar opposite: the depiction of an enemy hell-bent on destroying us. Supreme virtuoso of the bizarre, diabolic, and outlandish, Bosch embodies the phantasmagorical force of painting, while Bruegel, through his true-to-life landscapes and frank depictions of peasants, is the artistic avatar of the familiar and ordinary. But despite their differences, the works of these two artists are closely intertwined. Bruegel began his career imitating Bosch's fantasies, and it was Bosch who launched almost the whole repertoire of later genre painting. But Bosch depicts everyday life in order to reveal it as an alluring trap set by a metaphysical enemy at war with God, whereas Bruegel shows this enemy to be nothing but a humanly fabricated mask. Attending closely to the visual cunning of these two towering masters, Koerner uncovers art history’s unexplored underside: the image itself as an enemy. An absorbing study of the dark paradoxes of human creativity, Bosch and Bruegel is also a timely account of how hatred can be converted into tolerance through the agency of art. It takes readers through all the major paintings, drawings, and prints of these two unforgettable artists—including Bosch’s notoriously elusive Garden of Earthly Delights , which forms the core of this historical tour de force. Elegantly written and abundantly illustrated, the book is based on Koerner’s A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, a series given annually at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Published in association with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC Please note: All images in this ebook are presented in black and white and have been reduced in size. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction. Parallel Worlds Chapter 1 In the Art- Historical Museum Chapter 2 Life Time Chapter 3 World Time Chapter 4 From Bosch to Bruegel Part I. Hieronymus Bosch Chapter 5 Enmity Chapter 6 Among the Idols Chapter 7 The Unspeakable Subject Chapter 8 Self- Portraiture Part II. Pieter Bruegel the Elder Chapter 9 History Chapter 10 Culture Chapter 11 Nature Notes Index Photography and Copyright Credits