Titus Welliver, the lead actor in the Amazon Prime TV series “Harry Bosch”, has over 30 tattoos with unique meanings. The “Hold Fast” scars are unique to the character, marking a crucial distinction between actor and role. Welliver’s tattoos celebrate self-expression, while Bosch’s scars represent a forced erasure of identity.
Over a large Italian meal, Welliver discussed the meaning behind his first tattoo and its significance in the TV series. He also discussed the overlap between his real life and the “Bosch”-verse. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in 2017, Welliver confirmed that every tattoo he has is real.
Welliver’s tattoos in “Harry Bosch” are not related to the tattoos Harry Bosch has in the novels. He claims that all of his tattoos are real and each holds personal meaning. Some of his tattoos represent the names and birth dates of his children.
In a 2017 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Welliver confirmed that all of his tattoos are real and each holds personal meaning. He started getting tattooed at a young age and now has around thirty tattoos. The “Hold Fast” scars represent a forced erasure of identity, a visual reminder of the trauma that shaped Titus Welliver.
Overall, Welliver’s tattoos in “Harry Bosch” are real and contribute to his on-screen persona, but they are not related to the characters in the novels.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Bosch’s Titus Welliver Tattoos: A Complete Guide | Yes, they are all real. Welliver himself confirmed this in a 2017 interview with Tampa Bay Times: “The tattoos are real, they’re mine”. In the novels, Bosch … | mysterytribune.com |
| Titus Welliver’s tattoos in Bosch and what they mean | Are his tattoos real? Welliver has mentioned on several accounts that all of his tattoos are real. What was Titus Welliver’s first tattoo? The … | tuko.co.ke |
| ‘Bosch’ Star Titus Welliver Once Explained Why He Doesn’ … | ‘Bosch’ star Harry Bosch sports some prominent tattoos. All of the ink is real. Actor Titus Welliver, who plays the character, has more than 30 tattoos. | cheatsheet.com |
📹 BOSCH Actors Real-Life Couples ❤️ Titus Welliver’s many personal tragedies, losses and marriages
Hey, guys! Let’s take a look at the brilliant main cast of the Amazon’s hit crime drama series Bosch. In particular, let’s dive into the …
Did Titus Welliver Get A Tattoo On Bosch?
On Amazon Prime Video's series Bosch, star Titus Welliver, known for portraying detective Harry "Hieronymous" Bosch, showcases a striking collection of tattoos that are, in fact, real. Welliver has over 30 pieces of tattoo art on his body, with his latest addition in early July. He decided to get these tattoos after being cast as Bosch, informing author Michael Connelly that covering them would require extra daily time. Consequently, the decision was made to retain the tattoos for the role.
Welliver confirmed in a 2017 interview with the Tampa Bay Times that all his tattoos are authentic, stating, "The tattoos are real, they're mine." In the Bosch novels, the character has "Hold Fast" inked on him, but Welliver's tattoos feature a more diverse array, including symbols of guns, knives, hearts, and an Irish harp on his left forearm—symbols reflecting his own life experiences rather than those of the character.
One notable tattoo is on Welliver's right shoulder, depicting Koi fish circling a rock, which symbolizes strength and fluidity, representing his martial arts dojo. Unlike fellow show NBC's Good Girls, which opted for fake tattoos for character portrayal, Welliver's tattoos are genuine expressions of his identity.
As the show gained popularity, Welliver participated in interviews where he discussed his experiences with tattoos, revealing the overlap between his personal life and his role as Bosch. He has two tattoos specifically related to his character; however, many stem from his individual interests, such as music and martial arts.
Currently residing in Connecticut, Welliver joined the show to share insights about his career while flaunting a casual look that highlighted his numerous tattoos. As he continues embodying the role of Harry Bosch in the Amazon series, Welliver's authentic tattoos contribute significantly to the character's rugged persona.
Do Actors Have Tattoos?
Some actors prominently display their tattoos, which can complicate their careers due to aesthetic requirements for roles. Covering tattoos can take hours with makeup, but many actors opt for small, hidden tattoos on their arms, wrists, chests, or backs. Despite the challenges, having tattoos doesn't prohibit one from being an actor; successful examples include Pete Davidson, Angelina Jolie, Idris Elba, and Danny Trejo. While visible tattoos could limit casting opportunities, the industry's growing acceptance of tattoos is making it easier for productions to be flexible regarding inked actors.
The impact of tattoos can vary based on the role. Some roles explicitly require no visible tattoos, while others may embrace them. Talent agencies and production companies generally prefer actors without visible tattoos unless the tattoos are essential to a character's identity. However, there is no formal regulation against actors having tattoos, whether in Hollywood, Broadway, or other platforms.
The challenge remains in effectively using makeup to conceal tattoos, especially with advanced visual technology like HD and 4K. Depending on the tattoo's visibility and placement, this process may affect the production's overall aesthetic. Notably, some actors have successfully leveraged their tattoos to enhance their characters, whereas others have found their tattoos require concealment for several projects.
Ultimately, deciding whether actors should have tattoos is subjective and influenced by personal choices and career goals. While tattoos are often seen as taboo within stage and screen acting, they can limit or enhance casting opportunities. Many actors with tattoos have thrived, striking a balance between their personal expression and professional ambitions. Thus, an actor's ink can open as many doors as it may close, leading to varied experiences in the industry regarding visible tattoos.
Are Bosch'S Tattoos Real?
Yes, all of the tattoos on Titus Welliver are real. In a 2017 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, he confirmed, "The tattoos are real, they're mine." In the novels, his character, Harry Bosch, has "Hold Fast" tattooed on his knuckles but later removes them. Welliver himself has personal tattoos and scars on his knuckles. One notable tattoo of Welliver's depicts a pair of Koi fish circling a rock on his right shoulder, which symbolizes strength, fluidity, and perseverance—a common theme among tattoo enthusiasts that reflects challenging times in life.
When Welliver was cast as Bosch in the series (2014-2021) and its sequel, Bosch: Legacy (2022), the production team decided to incorporate his tattoos into the character's representation. Welliver has discussed his extensive body art, mentioning that he started getting tattoos at a young age and now possesses over thirty, each holding personal significance. Many of the tattoos commemorate pivotal moments in his life, such as the names and birth dates of his children.
Thus, the tattoos are real, and while some elements may not directly connect to Bosch’s character in the novels, they reflect Welliver's own experiences and beliefs. Notably, there was some discussion during production regarding how closely Bosch should resemble his literary counterpart, as the character in the books doesn't have Welliver's extensive ink. However, Welliver's unique body art adds depth to his portrayal of Bosch, creating an interesting interplay between his own life and the fictional narrative.
The character development is enhanced by the inclusion of Welliver's tattoos, with each marking representing aspects of both the actor's journey and the character's persona. Ultimately, Welliver's tattoos serve as a visual narrative that parallels the themes of endurance and personal history integral to both the actor and Bosch's identity.
Does Harry Bosch Have Tattoos?
Harry Bosch, the fictional character portrayed by actor Titus Welliver in the Amazon Prime series "Bosch," has a complex relationship with tattoos. As a teenager, Bosch had the words "Hold Fast" tattooed on his knuckles, a symbol that he later removed. His experiences in the army, including a demanding drill instructor who had him punch brick walls, left him with scars in place of those tattoos.
Titus Welliver, the actor representing Bosch, is significantly inked in real life, boasting over 30 tattoos. His adaptations and personal expressions reflect within the character he plays, even though they differ from Bosch's storyline. Welliver’s tattoos include a Koi fish circling a rock on his right shoulder, symbolizing his martial arts dojo and representing qualities like strength, fluidity, and perseverance.
In addition to the Koi fish tattoo, Welliver has other significant designs. On his left forearm, there’s an Irish harp, while his right upper arm sports the symbol of his Karate dojo. Further, he has a tattoo on the inside of his left wrist depicting an Orange, White, and Green colored flag, along with a heart crowned and surrounded by hands above it. These tattoos provide insight into his life and interests.
While discussing the on-screen representation, all Welliver's tattoos are real, reflecting his personal life rather than those of Bosch from the source material. There was behind-the-scenes debate regarding the inclusion of tattoos for the character, since Bosch in the novels does not have any permanent tattoos aside from the "Hold Fast" text, which he removed.
The tattoos that Welliver has are emblematic of his identity, showing his passion for martial arts and personal heritage. This contrasts with the scars on Harry Bosch's knuckles from a troubled youth and military service, making the character's journey more relatable and layered.
In summary, while Titus Welliver's tattoos are real and offer a glimpse into his personal life, the character he plays, Harry Bosch, has a different yet impactful relationship with tattoos, with significant transformations and experiences that define his character arc in the series.
What Does A Bobcat Tattoo Mean?
The actor has a blue and black star tattoo on their right wrist beneath a bobcat's head, embodying bravery and positive direction in life, as stars symbolize guidance. Another tattoo, a bobcat totem on the left shoulder, reflects various traits associated with the animal, such as patience, independence, and strategic thinking. The bobcat tattoo signifies the wearer's alignment with these characteristics, representing a fierce spirit and respect for solitude.
Bobcats, native to North America and characterized by their brown or reddish-brown fur, evoke a sense of positivity and strength. The appeal of bobcat tattoos lies not only in their aesthetics but also in their profound symbolism. They encapsulate qualities of resilience, independence, and the capacity to overcome challenges. The tattoo serves as a reminder to connect with one's inner power and navigate life's obstacles gracefully.
The popular bobcat design often showcases the animal in dynamic poses—perhaps mid-leap or perched on a rocky ledge, highlighting its keen eyes and tufted ears. Symbolically, the bobcat embodies patience, stealth, agility, and independence. It represents solitary exploration, keen insight, and confidence, reflecting the essence of the resilient creature.
Bobcats, known for their nocturnal hunting, signify wisdom and strategic action. The tattoo may represent an individual's journey through life’s challenges and their capacity to adapt. The rich symbolism of the bobcat includes themes of balance, independence, and self-reliance, invoking a respect for the interconnectedness of all living beings. In various spiritual traditions, seeing a bobcat symbolizes adaptability, unseen protection, and a reminder to find harmony between social engagement and solitude. Ultimately, bobcat tattoos convey messages about embracing one’s unique path in life.
📹 The Disturbing Paintings of Hieronymus Bosch
There is no other artist quite like Hieronymus Bosch. During the European Renaissance, this Dutch painter was conjuring up …
over a period of a year, i located and bought all of the novels….read them in the order they were written…this really reflected the developing writing skills of Michael, the changes in technology as it evolved in the real world, and developed a serious understanding of the Los Angeles basin….this has been a very enjoyable ride…!!
Did all 7 seasons in the last 3 1/2 weeks! Love Harry’s character on the Bosch series… old time righteousness to the man! Second favorite is J Edgar… mild and mellow man with soul! Crate and Barrel round out the subtle (not) comedy to take the edge off of the high intensity! Thank you Titus, Jamie, et al for a quality program!
Love, love the entire cast. Titus, of course is the most interesting, but all are amazing. Bosch is such a great character. I’ve read most of the books and the series portrays them well. Love the music, his jazz and his drive to do the right thing. Can’t wait for season 7 even though it’s been stated that will be the end of it, we can hope for more.
Hieronymus Bosch was super creative, long before his time, and painted differently than his fellow painters. I always loved his work. My brother, who is a professional painter, had a book on the paintings of Bosch and I would sit at night, with a magnifying glass, to study his creatures. The amount of detail but also the number of objects in one painting were mindboggling. I love Bosch. Another painter, who also painted like this, but less intensive was the German painter Albrecht Dürer.
The thing about his paintings is they’re so insanely detailed you can get lost in them–every part of it you look at there’s always more detail in the background, hints of yet more vistas, infinitely receding. They’re the sort you could get sucked into–it feels like there’s an actual world behind the canvas. It actually gave me an idea for a story.
A thing you surprisingly didn’t mention is that we know that Hieronymus Bosch experienced a huge city fire in his youth, and all the horrors that brought with it. Almost all of his surrealistic paintings have a big part dedicated to a burning city. I was born in ‘s Hertogenbosch and have been an enthousiast of the bizarre and grotesque since my youth. His paintings have always fascinated me.
I’ve always wondered why a lot of really old art like this can’t be chalked up to a simple love of horror or science fiction, like today’s society. A lot of the time, disturbing artwork is said to be results of mental illness or religion. Its like we cant expect those historical figures to have an imagination based on nothing like we do now.
I discovered Bosch today from an earlier article that I just so happened upon. It was purely an accident and I have not divulged myself with art in such a long time. It’s been nearly half a lifetime since and by running into his work today is illuminating. It made me realize how much I miss interpreting artwork. Since impressionism was what struck my interest when I was younger (I’m 33 now) I would pick away at every brushstroke as it would, for lack of better words (flood) my mind. I have always loved art all types painting to sculptures basically anything. The world is art all around, I live architecture but it has just been to long where I was taken aback by a painting where I was overwhelmed by that (flooding) feeling! I am truly sorry, I am writing such a lond comment but I am so excited! It’s two in the morning and I don’t want to go to sleep. I guess the art will be there tomorrow, or I guess in this case later today but until then I need to get some sleep and maybe have a lucid dream that I am in a art museum.. who knows its possible. Sorry again I just had to tell somebody about my excitement! Good night world… D.G
As someone who has painted, I have to say that Bosch’s intricately detailed artwork must have taken a good deal of time to complete. The detail is astoundingly minute, with brushstrokes barely visible – if at all – and his palettes must have been meticulously graduated. Whatever his compulsion was, and whatever it was he was trying to convey, he was obviously very driven. You can’t produce something like “The Garden of Earthly Delights” in a couple of days. There is months, if not years, of work in that.
I was lucky to be able to see many of these paintings in person last November in Milan. The exhibition Bosch and Another Renaissance runs through March 12, 2023 at the Palazzo Reale. They gathered works from all over Europe. There are even pictures behind some his triptychs you can walk around and see. Beautiful animated article of his works at the end. Really amazing to see in person these pictures that have captured my imagination since I was a kid. I don’t know if the exhibition is traveling to another country next, but I’d look into it if you are a fan.
Bosch and Francisco Goya have always been my favorite artists. There’s something oddly comforting about seeing the sorts of creatures they painted to me. Better for them to be out in the open and you to come face to face with them then them staying hidden in the hearts of normal looking humans. That’s just my take.
I don’t believe that Bosch was ill or hallucinating from ergotism at all. The art itself suggests he wasn’t. It’s so complex and richly detailed, and as an aspiring painter, I can assure you that painting minute details on large pieces is very involved and time consuming. A person has to be relatively clear-headed and focused to put that amount of work into dozens and dozens of paintings of that quality. People love to speculate about where highly creative artists and musicians get their ideas from, but the thing is, people really don’t want to work very much when they are sick or high as a kite.
I love the fact that hyeronimus was probably the most important precursor to the grotesque genre or eldritch horror genre, and that he inspired years and years of artists creating creatures with their imagination and creativity, while still making them unnamable, which is also the concept behind cosmic horror, it’s something so horrifying you can’t describe it, with no precise shape but very disturbing traits
0:15 Something that many people do not realize is that a six-sided die should always have its opposite sides add up to seven. 5 will be opposite 2, 3 opposite 4, and 1 opposite 6 (unless it is some bootleg die). In this painting, though, the 2 and 5 are both visible. Knowing this, I always look at drawn dice to see if they were drawn accurately. Tattoos are especially interesting, because it is not uncommon for people to have their dice drawn ‘wrong.’ I do not typically point this out to them, however. Anyway, perhaps Mr. Bosch painted the die incorrectly on purpose to add even more madness to the painting.
When I was in 1st grade my class took a field trip to the neighboring big city. We mainly went to the museum, but also went to the public library. While my classmates were looking at Golden Books I happened to wonder over to this section of art books. I opened two that blew my mind. One was full of Bosch’s work and the other was that of Bruegel. I was fascinated. That experience changed my life.
I have always found Bosch’s paintings fascinating. Thanks for the article. Since we know so little about his life, I am speculating that he may have been influenced by the Bubonic Plague that hit Europe in 1437 and reappeared in successive waves every few generations for centuries. Since Bosch died in 1516 and was probably born around 1450, it is highly likely that he was a witness to its devastation and horror.
I became a huge fan of Bosch after perusal Metallica’s music article for Until It Sleeps. I became fascinated by the iconology so I decided to look more into his art and ended up falling in love with how intricately detailed and vivid his work was. It was surreal and dark, yet so realistic and unique. I hadn’t seen anything like it before and he quickly became one of my favorite artists. His imagination was endless and he created worlds in which you could get lost in for hours. A truly mind-blowing artist!
I would dismiss the theories that Bosch was either insane, or had hallucinations as a result of ergot poisoning or some other substance. Look at his paintings. They are incredibly well organised and structured.. No insane person could be so ordered, and if you’ve ever had LSD, as I have, you would know that any detailed work such as these paintings would be all but impossible. He was a creative artist, with a vivid imagination!
I remember seeing a coffee table book with his art in large print when I was really young, and I was so disturbed back then! Thank you for this article… seeing the familiar scenes again took me back to when I first looked at that book. If it weren’t for the vibrant colors, I probably would not have looked at the images long enough to get so disturbed 😅
I instantly loved the absurdity of Bosch ‘s paintings from the first glimpse at his work.. This article traveled me back to Art History Class, 4th semester at uni, and felt weirdly nostalgic with a side of wild fangerling. Love his work, love your work, it is like I’ve just watched the world’s most epic collab. Thank you!
Wow, great article! I’ve been to ‘s Hertogenbosch many times (i was even there yesterday) and knew he was a painter, but never realized how interesting his art is! There’s a statue of the pig nun in the city somewhere and i always thought it looked funny, but never knew what it was. Next time i will surely visit the Jeroen Bosch museum when i’m there! Thanks to this article!
As a teenage art students we were fascinated by Bosch and the detail of grotesque creatures in his paintings. This was late 1960s. He inspired me to paint hellish scenes at the time and still have an art book with his work. Yes artists draw inspiration from other artists. The detail was amazing.!! Hope he didn’t suffer for his art but it’s still not uncommon for artists to be sensitive to cultural events of the time. Death was something that was part of life and religion was powerful. Thanks for article. I paint moody landscapes now.
It feels like I got taught of none of Bosch’s art at school, we learned some, about those of St. Anthony for example, but hey, The Garden of Earthly Delights is like hyperborean of Alexander Uglanov, those structures in the back are just something from vivid dreams, and how endless the view is, and Tondall’s Vision is just pure psychedelic nightmare, and beautiful, frighteningly beautiful. I wish I knew of those paintings earlier, because now they are my new favourite paintings, I guess the right time to get to know them is now, thank you for the article.
Since childhood I have a weird hobby of sketching my dreams (writing notes immediately after waking up) whatever I remember….so this art makes a lot of sense to me.. the Art of putting your memory on a paper requires massive concentration, but when you start drawing outlines it comes back immediately, in the end when you finish it and check the details….it surprise you…and that feeling which makes you surprise yourself is out of this world….
Thank you so much for covering a article about Hieronymus Bosch 💖 He’s one of my absolute favorite medieval artists ever since I discovered the Garden of Earthly Delights! I would honestly LOVE to see more stuff about art history cause there are so many iconic works that are full of misconceptions and mysteries 💖
Very interesting. As a child I could not stop looking at hi s paintings. We had books of art at home. The three dimensions and vivid colours. I felt every picture has a story like a fairytale. I did not think gloomy thoughts, more funny thoughts like children do. As a grownup, I see it differently. If he had lived now, I wonder what he would have portrayed through his magnificent art now? He could also have been a children’s book illustrator or animation artist? His coloursare fantastic.and the movement in his, drawings are, captivating. He had a weird sense of humor
Thanks for this! I’ve been fascinated by Bosch since I was a child. In my art classes I always got caught wondering about his paintings instead of the more famous artists, such as Da Vinci and Michelangelo. His work and El Grecco’s had an immense grip on my imagination. He surely is one of the most astounting artists of all times.
The original Author and Illustrator of the Manga Berserk utilized a lot of inspiration for his work and even recreated a painting of this dude for a panel for story telling purposes. This man did perfect the art of demonic illustration and it’s nice to know his work was used in the greatest story ever published.
Heironymus Bosch is one of my favorite old masters- as a boy, I even painted the last part of the triptych with only the white monstrous figure with tree trunks as it’s feet. Also, I remember when the the triptych was called ( the central one), the “garden of delights.” But that was way back in 1972 nearly half a century ago. Later, I found out that he was a cathar. Coming from the Greek word, ” katharos” meaning, cleansed. Sort of a clandestine order. But at 3:00, the pig dressed as a nun was, in the original text, trying to get the condemned soul of a rich man to sign over his wealth to the catholic church( given the nature of where he already was, signing a pact with the devil would’ve been pointless.) And, Bosch insane? No, I don’t think so. But, great narrative. And an even greater description.
The primary hypothesis about the meaning behind Bosch’s work that was offered to us in elementary school was that many of his images might have been a kind of rebus. The idea was that since so many people during Bosch’s time were illiterate, art often needed to take up the slack in educating people when they couldn’t be expected to read the Bible. With that in mind, it was suggested that a number of the images in Bosch’s paintings would have been recognizable to his contemporaries as a kind of visual pun or lesson. That concept was fascinating to me as a kid and clearly I hadn’t forgotten it. These many decades later however I have no idea whether or not that hypothesis has since been academically refuted. I greatly appreciate your articles and thank you for the time and care you put into making them.👍
What a coincidence – a few weeks ago, a Korean group named “Red Velvet” actually released a new song with a music article that takes a heavy inspiration from some of his paintings. Their clip is not grotesque in any way, but you can find many similarities in the places and creatures appearing in both places. For anyone that is curious, you should watch “Feel My Rhythm” by Red Velvet!
His work is brilliant- he didn’t see things. He “saw things”. He “saw” something true to life and described it as best he could. You can tap into the infinite creative realm without hallucinating. We all do it all the time. But I think some of us just have way more capacity for abstraction than others. This guy got it.
Having grown up in a strain of Christianity where there are most certainly still demons around every corner, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that my lifelong fascination with the dark, and macabre (an interest deemed heretical by many in that world) led me to love Bosch. His works look like the work of a surrealist far before that movement would come to be, and portray the sorts of things I grew up terrified of in such a beautiful, weird, and distinct way. I loved his work before I even knew his name because I’d see pieces here and there in books, and on TV as a kid, and I was captivated by them every time.
An interesting argument against hallucinations that I heard from an analyses of revalations of John is that it is hard to make something structured when suffering from them. As crazy as Bosh’s paintings are, they are not really madness. So the idea that he just had a love for the absurd makes more sense
Thanks for this. I just came back from a trip to Hungary and there are two of his paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts Budapest. They absolutely were the standouts amongst hundreds of pieces of historic art. I now feel a little more knowledgeable about what I witnessed and was touched by personally. They had the Temptation of St Anthony, and the middle piece from the Garden of Earthly Delights triptych. You can lose yourself in those.
While in the pursuit of my Art History degree, I was pleased to study the work of Hieronymus Bosch and one of my other favorites, Pieter Breugel the Elder. I am absolutely fascinated by the minds of these artists. I can only guess at the mental gymnastics they dealt with on a daily basis. If I could go back into the 16th century in a time machine, I would truly love to interview them.
This “frightening hallucination hell world” theme always reminds me of the disturbing world of Saya no Uta. Others mentioned Berserk, and therefore Soulsborne series, which make so much sense now when understanding the origins. I’m fond of studying the masters as someone who takes joy in learning art, but I have always been drawn to japanese media and horror as well, and when these words collide is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
Dutchman here, the “ch” in “Bosch” is silent so you can just pronounce his last name as “Bos” Also talking about the Dutch painters after his death you showed Jacob van Craesbeeck, but he is actually Belgian (i know Belgium was technically also the Netherlands back then, but i thought i should point out anyway) Good article
Fabulous artist. Always liked his stuff. To me he’s like a very early surrealist. Love it that you mentioned that. He may have to some extent been following the Bible or other religious texts for inspiration, But to me his mind is like an early Fantasist, creating entire worlds that don’t exist — But sure look like they do under his brush. As an Iron Maiden fan I see Bosch as a forerunner of the nightmarish horror/ science fiction art of many modern artists Including Derek Riggs and Mark Wilkinson who have done the “Eddie” artwork on all Maiden productions.
His art validated some of my dreams. I get impressions that I can never put into words. The shapes he’s using however can be just as beautiful if it was interpreted through a healthier spirit. I understand… No really, his drawing may be accurate. But I’ve had similar dreams that were the same color schemes and shapes but rather majestic. Maybe we are supposed to interpret horrors as not horrific? Because through the eyes of great mercy this could be considered “beauty”. Great mercy happens in terrible situations that only exist because of free will. Pain has a limit. We are given what we can handle. I’ve had great pain and it’s all due to being asleep while awake(unable to foresee). But… Art is comforting. For all of us. We ALL experience pain and suffering. And we are closer to god each time…as hot as hot gets, there’s a point where it feels cold. Our nerves and brain are equipped for everything…and fear energy is the bond. If you vanish fear. Nobody can hurt you. Your soul slowly oozes out before you even die. I know I’ve experienced it.(drowning). As well, I’ve have had phantom contractions after giving birth as a form of ptsd because I was AFRAID of going through it again. I realized it isn’t that bad if I’m rolling around crying and whining. It’s like my brain is distracted from the pain with outward expression. But I refused to be tied down like that. So… I’ve had my knees dislocated due to a cement block and table. And it’s just electrical surges. Like literally the nerves.
The first time I had ever seen one of this gentleman’s paintings was in a book my mother owned. I don’t recall what it was named, but it was the one with the bird demon creature and the tree man. I will say that I think it kind of messed me up mentally due to being in my pre-teens/early teens when I first saw it. I kept going back to look at it in strange horror/fascination because I was curious about it. Now that I know that it was not from the 70’s or 80’s, it is less frightening than it originally seemed, but still bafflingly curious to me.
One of my favourite famous artists too. 25 to 30 years back, I remember being told be an art historian & art professor that Heronimous Bosche believed himself to be eterbnally dammed to a real hell of which visiions he created. His artist brothers paintings were nothing like the work of Heronomous. I cant remember if their evidence was impirical or subjective but Algeri Dantè descent into hell in Paradise Lost from his trilogy had laid the cornerstone for “fire & brimstone” preaching i.m.o. Heronimous Bosches paintings remind me of some writings of Dantè’s work
I went to a high school called: Jeroen Bosch College (I am from Den Bosch). The school was filled with copies of his paintings. De Tuin der Lusten (The Garden of Earthly Delights) was one of them. We were thaught about some symbolism within his paintings. For example the owl: in his era it was a symbol of evil. If you see someone with a funnel on their head it means stupidity/ignorance.
I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole researchng this piece. One thing I’ve found interesting, is the repeated structure/image of a create consuming another creature (like the giant bird in section 3). The same pose, complete with left-facing profile, is repeated several times. Wonder if it means anything or just convenience. ps – another article claims it was made as a conversation piece for the King’s parlor. I’m imagining royalty gathering around it, a safe place to scoff at the sins of mankind will secretly being intrigued by it.
A while back I went on one of those boat tours you can take in the city, you basicaly go through the canals of the city, and during that trip we had some sort of history lesson about Bosch. In the year of 1463 there was this enormous fire in the city, and it was though that Bosch was there to witness it. He would’ve been around 13, give or take a few years, and it is speculated that that fire had something to do with his paintings, seeing as how cities on fire are pretty common in his work.
he’s my all time favorite painter.. because paintings of landscapes and customary things, no matter how intricate or gorgeous they can be, they are still so boring to me. Hieronymus Bosch’s work is just captivating, it makes your mind go “wtf am i perusal” and keeps you thinking about it. that’s what art is all about in my opinion.
It’s really cool to see a famous artist from 500 years ago having sketches and using older art to inspire his own paintings. You often get the impression that these great pieces just materialized, and weren’t the product of a man with a vivid imagination, some old illuminated manuscripts, and innumerable sketches, some of which were probably pinned up to reference as he painted the characters into the triptych.
I always wonder if this type of art was inspired by the artist actually using hallucinogens/psychedelics that would’ve been around at that time or not. These sorts of things definitely look the way hallucinogens feel/what you’d see/think on them. I can’t picture these sorts of things being created in the mind without having experienced hallucinogenics tbh.
I own both ” The Garden of Earthly Delights” and Dali’s “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”. What does that say about me? I like weird art, think Dali was a tortured, brilliant artist (his older brother was the first Salvador Dali, but he died as a child. The Dali whose art I enjoy was given the name of his dead brother). Both artists were creative, unconventional and produced shocking works, which, I feel, were painted for the shock effect they would have upon the culture they lived in. That’s my take on it. Art is art, not a psychological diagnosis.
I hate when people see things like this and say “oh the artist must have been crazy.” This is a result of creativity and a negative sense of life, to some extent. It should also be noted that artists were highly restricted by the church, except for things like depictions of evil. This is why gargoyles were popular, to some extent. The grotesques were the only way an artist could truly be creative.
I blame sleep paralysis for the historical obsession with religion, the certainty Heaven and Hell existed and the frightening imagery people seemed to want to paint or see painted and don’t fund it unfamiliar. During sleep paralysis disturbing hallucinations occur that feel like they are really happening not like a nightmare, including shadow people approaching with ominous intent their glowing eyes fixed on yours,and old hags in black who would approach the defenceless sleeper and sit on their torso, causing actual physical pain when the sleepers body awoke. There are all sorts of hallucinations people have reported that are more consistent with their culture but the shadow people and the hag are consistent ones. The shadow person is an obvious vision for the panicked mind to conjure up in the dark..a long white haired hag sitting on them, not so much. 😨😱 However, forgetting this sinister oversight, the hallucinations experienced in sleep paralysis must of seemed like proof that supernatural entities existed and indeed Hell. This shows why everyone was used to such eerie imagery and why there was such devotion to God and not being sinful. Some sleep paralysis sufferers are lucky in that they see eerie scenes like replicas of their bedroom but without any possessions in their room for example but not the terrifying figures known to other sufferer’s. But no one ever sees positive imagery due to the physiological effects of your brain waking up b4 your body (or is it the other way around!
In 2001, in Rotterdam, I’ve seen a very interesting exposition of some Bosch’s paintings. There wasn’t the garden of delights, which stayed in Madrid, but there were a lot of references to the cultural world of his age, let’s call them semi-folkloristic. Such a pity they didn’t make a catalog, because I’ve seen there a lot of images, the “Grilli”, that he has literally taken from material around, some of that there to be seen, and put directly in his paintings. It was there that I ‘ve understood that his imagination wasn’t endless as I thought before and that he was very aware of The Tardo Gotic Culture in Brabant & Holland, and he had heavily used that kind of icons and tokens. This said about his images, but if I really could understand his Philosophy is thanks a book, one of my most treasured, so treasured that I cannot find it at the moment,. I don’t remember the name of the author, nor the title because I ve read it 15 years ago at least, but she told the reader that Hiero Bosch was a HEretic, KETTER, that this is why he went to Venice, the last place where that kind of currents could still be spoken about (shortly after everything ended in Bosnia due to the Turk invasion) I tell you just 1 think learned in that book: look every painting of Hiero and you will find an Owl, symbol of the devil perusal us, this is why is omnipresent. I swear when I find that book I come back to give you the title because it is a must read!
I truly delight (no garden) in Horchelaga’s articles. But with this painting, sadly, he is parroting the plainly wrong, ridiculous view of the painting – simply because he has not actually spent time with the painting and relied on the Disneyfied reading. Even the great Prado museum where it is available for a closer look veers to the conventional view (nothing like a radically unconventional look/painting judged by the conventional) Just look at it: Paradise isn’t the usual biblical Eden if you skip the Fall of Man and Jesus is there bringing the couple romantically together – and it certainly is not a warning of anything, unless you consider the sexy frolicking and fun of the middle panel worth a warning. This is a work of satire and dark human comedy, not a religious pamphlet. It is designed as an alterpiece work for a church that was never intended to be displayed at a church (and wasn’t) like Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles was designed as a western. I could go on, but thankfully there is a wonderful book to read on the painting (out of dozens of mediocre, silly ones): “Hieronymus Bosch: Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hans Belting. Get it cheap from an Indie bookshop online.
It is interesting to see how much time and effort went into all those tiny details hundreds of years ago. Nowadays, we have all this technology, yet, artists would never devote so much time to creating just a single piece of art. It makes you wonder how much we could do with our time without cell phones, movies etc.
I love perusal these articles of famous artist and their art. So fascinating. I’m an artist that paints saints for the past 20 some years, and started the use 23k gold leaf this past year. I’m very interested in illuminating manuscript art. My interest in art came at a young age. I colored and drew-on brown paper bags at my grandmother house. I came across an old photo of myself sitting with my father and my late younger brother and I’m holding pencils and a tablets of paper. My religious art inspired by my grand mother’s faith, very devout sitting in her rocking chair with a rosary in her hand till she passed at 92. But recently had my DNA results linked my maternal ancestry to Saint Luke the Evangelist. My late grandmother and mother would have been astonished to know this. After a illuminated incident early in my religious art journey, I woke up in the night, I stood up starting walking and aglow appeared to be behind me as I was walking I saw glowing foot prints that were mine fading with each step I called out to my husband. But it was gone. It has really come full circle for my interest in what I create. I feel very blessed🤍🕊️🕊️🕊️
Reminds me of the children’s book Where The Wild Things Are crossed with Salvador Dali ( sorry for the spelling..lm dyslexic ) … it’s absolutely mind boggling how much thought to the detail and narrative has gone into this macabre masterpiece. It would be fascinating to go back in time to find out how this master came up with such imaginative ideas 💡 ♥️💯
Call me naive, but I never heard of this artist until recently, when I came across a article (or two) with the “butt song” painting and how it sounded when it was played. After perusal this article, I now understand. So happy I found this informative article! Also, I thought the paintings, although a little morbid, were beautiful. Such detail!
I was introduced to Bosch when I was about 8 or 9 years old, a teenager I was “friends” with, sold spider plants very cheap (probably to buy weed) had a poster of Elton John’s Captain Fantastic album cover of a Bosch painting, Garden of Earthly Delights I believe, and I would go there just as much to spend up to half an hour staring at the poster as to buy replacement spider plants I kept killing. Impressed on Bosch’s strangeness very early on.
My uncle gave me a copy of the 3 panel Garden of Earthly Delights. I saw copies of many of his paintings while I was in Amsterdam. I wanted to give my son Jordan the middle name of Hieronymus but my wife would not allow it. I also like Dali and visited his museum and home in Spain. I guess I like weird.😅
I love this abstract painting, the colours, and presence of it against the wall. But… my house is full of originals already. So I always peep at this painting! Nearly everyday as if it hangs it my house! I am actually a children ‘s book writer who has a pseudonym when I tweet on the cell phone, So I am free. Thank you, love yr paintings
Here and there I think about this painting. Idk about you guys but do you guys think about life and death while living inside this painting? Lol, I’m not making sense but this artwork is evoking for you to think about your own life and the uncertain possibilities. This painting scares and intrigues me. Haunting, yet beautiful
I also like how hierarchical structures of power, both of the touchable as the spiritual, and levels of corruption are depicted in some of his work, and how he knew how to draw a normal gaze a lot of characters show stares with an intense animalistic vibe to them, completely out of their mind it seems. I’m not sure if it’s factual but I heard he was actually hired by the church to produce work to visualize sin and hell for people to see. It’s interesting since his work doesn’t let anybody off the hook, all is entangled including himself. The city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch regularly pays homage to the artist and has statues based on his work throughout the city in mostly random places. It’s a very old city with a lot of history and has parts of its city walls still in tact. It’s a shame the st Johns Cathedral’s tower got bombed in WW2 so the tower is not original, the rest has been well maintained nonetheless.
growing up painting, then art school in the 70s – Bosch has always been well known to us. My earlier heritage is in the christian tradition, so his imagery of hell etc always strikes a chord. One thing i’ll say though, is that if you are an image-maker, you know that playing with juxtaposing odd elements, such as a bird’s head on a human body, or wings on a human being etc etc, is actually a hilarious thing to play with. It is part of the power of creation of imagery – and a hell of a hoot. All of this happened in ancient times as well. I mean even the egyptian and greek myths are populated by mixed up body parts assembled into deities. So perhaps take that out of the equation when considering Bosch – his reconstructions are a common practise. All the same, his work is so dark and morbid that he becomes a truly memorable scary old uncle of a painter. One of the greats – Highly skilled. Even now, ai is capable of true spookiness – simply because it mixes stuff up so badly – our human perception expects a set of ‘normals’ . When these are violated, as by ai, bosch, the surrealists, our senses are tilted,, this is the root of jokes, fear, unease -it’s all a part of out perceptual framework having it’s expectations somewhat mis-catered to.
While I like what you say this article inspired me to actually read further into his life. Bosch was a famous painter in his time, he was not some unknown person. He worked and a very highly prestigious art brotherhood in his home town and actually most of his paintings were commissions. While it is true Bosch’s style is unique his paintings were not created with absolute passion rather it is suggested that he had a huge workforce of apprentices and helpers to help finish his commons. I believe Bosch was an absolute master of his craft and he knew his source material extremely well. He drew upon common mythological refocus like the book Physclogus to make his pieces. They were not just random creatures each one had a specific biblical reference that Bosch painstakingly worked upon.
I read he was part of a sect that developed and used this imagery. Perhaps the use of ergot was part of this as some covens were said to purposely take it. Let alone the visions, behavior and chaos caused when it was accidentally taken. Thanks for showing a lot of work unfamiliar to me. He was fascinating and incredibly capable
In addition to what Scipio Africanus pointed out, Bosch also lived at the time when the Netherlands were still ruled by Spain and was going through a sort of war of independence. The hellscapes he painted in many wars could easily have been based on the horrors of that war that he probably saw personally.
Humanity always questions the outside thinkers. The eccentric ones. The free thinkers who are not rigid, closed down entities. I believe these brilliant thinkers and artists are expressing from their past lives. Where else could these expressions/visions come from? From deep within their souls and it keeps getting passed down from one to another.
The paintings wasn’t only disturbing They are clear visions of forms of beings existing like heaven and hell You can learn a lot looking deeply in it. In my childhood I studied that pictures often and began to understand very well He holds great knowledge as well as wisdom of view The view I appreciate that rare artist that I recognize a seer.