Hieronymus Bosch, The Ship of Fools
ca 1500-1510Paintings sorted by Historical period | Painter | Subject matter | Pigments used
Overview
‘The Ship of Fools’ together with the fragment “Gluttony and Lust” originally formed a part of ‘The Wayfarer Triptych’. It is not known when and in what circumstances the original triptych was dismantled. The other parts of the triptych were “The Wayfarer“, the fragment “Gluttony and Lust” and “Death and the Miser“. The central panel was lost.
The painting was thoroughly investigated by The Bosch Research and Conservation Project. The results of this investigation were published in a magnificent book referenced in the section “Recommended Books” below. An extensive interactive online feature at the website of the project complements the book and shows all the images from the book in high resolution. The pigment analysis reveals a limited palette consisting of the usual pigments employed in the Renaissance period, such as lead-tin yellow, red lake, and lead white.
Date: 1500-10
Medium: Oil
Support: Oak
Size: 58,1 x 32,1 cm
Art period: Renaissance
Musée du Louvre, Paris
R.F. 2218
Painting at the website of the BOSCH PROJECT
Pigments
Pigment Analysis
This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at The Bosch Research and Conservation Project (1). The scientists employed x-ray radiography (XRR), infrared photography (IRP) and infrared reflectography (IRR) to gain insights into the inner layers of the painting and to identify the pigments
1 Sky: lead white with small amounts of other pigments.
2 Foliage of the tree: brown underlayer on top of which the foliage was indicated by dabs of green paint and small light green touches.
3 Greyish clothes of the figure sitting on the branch: several colours were used in the greyish fabric. Reddish hue was mixed into the shadows, while a pinkish colour is visible in some of the highlights.
4 The object on his upper arm: lead-tin yellow.
5 Red fruits: vermilion or red lead.
References
(1) Luuk Hoogstede, Ron Spronk, Matthijs Ilsink, Robert G. Erdmann, Jos Koldeweij, Rik Klein Gotink, Hieronymus Bosch, Painter and Draughtsman: Technical Studies, Yale University Press, 2016, pp. 276 – 283.
Pigments Used in This Painting
Resources
See the collection of online and offline resources such as books, articles, videos, and websites on Hieronymus Bosch in the section ‘Resources on Painters‘
PowerPoint Presentations
Painter in Context: Hieronymus Bosch
A richly illustrated presentation on the painting technique and pigments employed by Hieronymus Bosch specially crafted for Art Education. (Number of Slides = 20)
- Each presentation starts with the basic resources on the painter such as his biography, main catalogs of his paintings, and a bibliography.
- Next, you find slides describing the painting technique of the artist and the pigments he usually employed in his work.
- The majority of the slides show examples of paintings containing the specific pigments.
Slides showing the basic resources on the life and works of the Northern Renaissance painter Hieronymus Bosch.
The painting technique and all pigments employed by Bosch are shown in the next slides.
The majority of the slides show important examples of paintings where Bosch employed specific pigments. The slides are organized according to the color of the pigments.
Videos
Video: 'The Ship of Fools' by Brian Sottosanti
Publications and Websites
Publications
(1) Matthijs Ilsink, Jos Koldeweij, Hieronymus Bosch: Painter and Draughtsman – Catalogue raisonné, Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2016, pp 316-335.
This book is also available online in pdf format in two parts: part I and part II.
(2) Luuk Hoogstede, Ron Spronk, Matthijs Ilsink, Robert G. Erdmann, Jos Koldeweij, Rik Klein Gotink, Hieronymus Bosch, Painter and Draughtsman: Technical Studies, Yale University Press, 2016, pp. 276 – 283.
(3) Anna Boczkowska, The Lunar Symbolism of The Ship of Fools by Hieronymus Bosch, Oud Holland, Vol. 86, No. 2/3 (1971), pp. 47-69.
(4) Levi Asher, Literary Kicks, Ship of Fools, the Enduring Metaphor, March 23rd, 2015.
(5) Cuttler, Charles. “Bosch and the Narrenschiff: A Problem in Relationships.” Art Bulletin 51, no. 3 (September 1969).
(6) Morganstern, Anne. “The Rest of Bosch’s Ship of Fools.” Art Bulletin 66, no. 2 (June 1984): 295-302.
(7) Landau, Blandine. “Sins of the Flesh and Human Folly: A Study of The Ship of Fools by Jheronimus Bosch. In Jheronimus Bosch: His Sources. Jheronimus Bosch Conference: 2nd, May 22-25, 2007, Jheronimus Bosch Art Center. ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 2010: 221.
Websites
Website of the Bosch Project
Website of the Bosch Research and Conservation Project
