Hieronymus Bosch
The influence of Old Masters on contemporary artists is undeniable. Visual artists, musicians, writers, and artists of all kinds draw inspiration from both contemporary society and the creators that came before them. Evidently, many contemporary visual artists reference art history and old masterworks.
The following series will explore contemporary artists that are looking to Old Masters for inspiration and reinterpreting their artworks in a new way.
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The Early Netherlandish artist Hieronymus Bosch’s famous work, The Garden of Earthly Delights was the focus of the exhibition, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Colección SOLO at the Matadero Madrid in 2022. The exhibition was an invitation to revisit and reconnect with Hieronymus Bosch’s masterpiece with a new lens. Artificial intelligence, sound art, digital animation, painting, sculpture and installation accompanied the visitor in a dialogue on the timeless, universal themes addressed by the original work.
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490 - 1500. Grisaille, Oil on oak panel. Copyright ©Museo Nacional del Prado.
Bosch’s oil painting addresses an overall theme of the fate of humanity, depicting a scene free of morality - yet conveying the fragility and ephermerality of the delight in sinful pleasures.
Learn more about this work on the Museo del Prado’s website.
In the 2022 exhibition, international contemporary artists SMACK, Mario Klingemann, Miao Xiaochun, Cassie McQuater, Lusesita, La Fura dels Baus-Carlus Padrissa, Filip Custic and Mu Pan are among the 15 artists whose diverse viewpoints are brought together in exhibition. Their reimagining of the artwork draws from the original themes by delving into contemporary consumerism, technology and self-absorption.
Learn more about the exhibition and see all 15 artists’ work on The Garden of Earthly Delights website.
Cassie McQuater, Angela’s Flood, 2020.
Mario Klingemann, The Garden of Ephemeral Details, 2020.
Cool 3D World, El Rey de la Vida, 2018.
How do you interpret the artworks by these 15 contemporary artists as they reinterpret Bosch’s work? Have you come across other artists’ work that re-imagines Bosch’s masterpiece?
