The Present Paper Has the

The present paper has the purpose of analysing a triptych painting made by Hieronymus Bosch, namely, the Temptation of St. Anthony. The main aspects that the paper will discuss are: the relevance of the work , the represented themes, the included symbols (and their interpretation) and last but not least the technical procedures and instruments. I will begin by describing the selected form of art. I will continue by referring to some the cultural and artistic circumstances that contributed to the creation of the art piece.

Then I shall try to interpret the symbolical elements from the triptych. Hieronymus Bosch is known in the history of arts as a skilled producer of triptychs. Among the most famous ones we can mention "The Garden of earthly delights" and "The temptation of St. Anthony". It is obvious that the main themes approached by the painter have a strong religious inspiration. It has been argued that approaches which could be considered heretical, together with some obscure hermetic practices were another source of inspiration for his works.

It can be safely stated that the triptychs he is famous for are full of symbols, inspired not only by biblical texts, but also by Flemish proverbs and various pieces of didactic literature. It has also been argued that many of his representations are depictions of verbal metaphors, such as the ones that can be found in the educational proverbs from his area. "The temptation of St. Anthony" is composed of three paintings.

The one of the left and the one on the right have the same dimensions, while the central one is considerably bigger than the others. It must be underlined right from the very beginning that there is no clue which tells the viewer which of the three paintings must be looked at first. The reading (interpretation) process might start from any of them.

This is very interesting because, depending on the order in which the paintings are seen, different connections occur between the represented elements leading to a highly complex overall interpretation of the piece. The purpose of the triptychs at that time was to tell a story. The role of art was also educative, since it addressed a large category of illiterate people, not just the educated elite. Under these circumstances of the painting becomes even more interesting. The theme in all three paintings is of course, St. Anthony.

In the painting on the left, there are two representations of him, one in the upper side, one in the inferior side. From this point of view, it can be stated that the painting is divided in half. Symbolically, ten upper side, representing the sky can be associated with the spiritual dimension, while the part below can be associated with the profane. In the painting on the right, the painter seems to be looking at the viewer, with a strange look on his face.

We can see that he is surrounded by temptations ranging from wine to naked women. The central panel , just as its size and position suggest it is the most important one. The symbolism is striking. The central scene depicts the saint as attending the mass together with a woman. Once again we have the saint with a strange look on his face, directed right at the viewer. Naturally there is more going on than one can interpret at a first glance.

A highly interesting aspect that must be brought into discussion right before starting the interpretation of each and one of the paintings refers to the presence of the mandrake root. In that period, the vegetable was used as a medicine in order to treat a disease called "Saint Anthony's fire". There is obviously a direct connection between the vegetable, the disease and the name of the painting. The disease called Saint Anthony's fire was caused by ergot poisoning.

This occurred through the ingestion of aliments such as rye and cereals which had been previously infected by a fungus called Claviceps purpurea. The manifestation of the disease consisted in a gangrene which spread throughout all the extremities, finally leading to the death of the patient. The spread of the gangrene was accompanied by spasms, headaches vomiting, etc. As far as the central system was concerned, it was affected as well and the consequences were manifested under the form of hallucinations.

The "fantastic" representations from the painting can be considered to be such hallucinations, either experienced by the painter either described by the people who had been in contact with infected persons. Another element which supports the concept of hallucination is represented by the mandrake root. Although used as treatment for Saint Anthony's fire, the root was itself poisonous and caused hallucinogenic reactions. There are two considerations which can be made at this point.

On the one hand, the presence of these elements might suggest that the fantastic which is present in the painting has to do with the hallucinogenic visions induced by poisoning. From this point of view, the reference can be considered both historical and social as it underlines an important phenomenon taking place in those days. On the other hand, one can make an interesting connection between the disease and the religious dimension.

Were the hallucinations caused by the fungus a type of religious revelations? Or were they a sort of punishment? One might assume that the latter version is more accurate based on the name of the disease "Saint Anthony's fire". The fire would be meant to punish. Under these circumstances one can understand that the period was one characterized by general sin.

The terrible visions from the paintings can be seen as hallucinations or revelations, or hallucinogenic revelations, but reading between the lines the viewer understands that they must be connected with a process of general decay concerning the human spirit. In the representations of the temptations- direct manifestations of the devil, one can read the failure of the human spirit and its contamination with evil. This statement must not be interpreted from a mystical point of view only.

One can also interpret it as a journey into the human subconscious as well. Saint Anthony, the founder of Christian monasticism is the symbol of the troubled period underwent at spiritual level during the medieval ages. The medieval and gothic influences are more than obvious.

The demons, the hallucinations, the evil visions are all metaphors meant to suggest states of fear, guilt ad anxiety related to the medieval beliefs in the existence of Satan and hell, in the eminent coming of the antichrist on earth (these beliefs could generate nothing but a strong emotional reaction of fear). It must be added that the "fantastic" elements from the triptych are also inspired by contemporary legends However, from another point of view, it could be stated that the fire refers to the torment of the Saint himself.

The fire can very well be interpreted as a metaphor for the temptations and their effect on him. The images from the three paintings reflect all the major themes from Bosch's works, from the concept of sin, to the suffering of Christ (the saint is God's apostle after all) and the appearance of the devil (with the temptations as active manifestations of him).

The fact that the saint manages to resist to both the physical and the spiritual torment is a proof of the painter's belief in the triumph of god. It is worth underlining at this point the fact that in medieval times, temptations such as the pleasures induced by flesh, wine, food, etc were considered direct confrontations and contacts with the demons. Hence the strong emotional reaction. Let us analyze the three images from the triptych.

In the painting on the left, a sit has been stated above, we have two representations of the saint. The colours are very soft and war, pastel like. The dominating tones are warm ones, including red and orange. The upper side of the painting includes shades of dark blue and grey. In the part below we have the saint being carried by two people. The pose suggests that he fainted or that he is exhausted. The main idea transmitted is that of torment.

The saint and the persons carrying him are on a bridge, an element which suggests the idea of passage. One of the persons is dressed.