Hieronymus Bosch

On August 9, 1516, Hieronymus Bosch, Dutch painter (Garden of Earthly Delights), died at the age of 66. An excerpt from the article:

"Major Works
Known for his dark and disturbing visions, Bosch took a critical look at the world around in several of his works. With "The Cure of Folly" (c. 1475-1480), he poked fun of the misguided medical practices of the day. Bosch rebuked those who spent their lives seeking earthly pleasures in "The Ship of Fools" (c. 1490-1500).

Throughout his career, Bosch focused much of his attention to exploring religious themes. "The Haywain" (c. 1500-1502), a triptych, first shows Adam and Eve in its interior left panel. The center panel features both clergy and peasants engaged in sinful behavior. The right panel provides a gruesome illustration of where that type of behavior leads—hell.

In 1504, Bosch painted "The Last Judgment," which illustrated the fall of humanity. He starts the triptych with the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The remaining two interior panels show the world's descent into sin, violence and chaos. Bosch made another triptych, "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" (c. 1505-1506), a short time later. He shows the saint resisting the efforts of the devil to make him surrender to evil. There is an attempt to seduce Saint Anthony and then means of force are tried on him, but he is shown in the final panel being led away by a group of believers.

"The Garden of Earthly Delights" (c. 1510-1515) is one of Bosch's later works. Again depicting the decline of the world through sin, primarily lust, a beautiful garden becomes a dark, fiery nightmare in the last panel of this triptych. This work, like so many of his pieces, serves as a visual lecture on morality.

Death and Legacy
Bosch died in 's-Hertogenbosch in August 1516 (the exact date of his death is unknown, but a funeral mass was held for him on August 9). While he enjoyed some success during his lifetime, he attracted an even grander fan soon after his death. King Philip II of Spain became a serious collector of Bosch's work, and "The Garden of Earthly Delight" is said to have been hung in his bedroom to remind the Spanish monarch to stay on a righteous path. Today, the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid holds many of Bosch's works."