PDF Hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen

PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/167086 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-09-24 and may be subject to change. Jerusalem and Other Holy Places As Represented by Jheronimus Bosch Jos KOLDEWEIJ Various works painted by Jheronimus Bosch the model drawing of the Entombment (British refer to specific locations, to places in which Museum), all the Passion scenes by Bosch are particular events have to be situated: these are set in a landscape and are given an architectural chiefly scenes from the life of Christ. In a more context. The staging of the landscape of St John general sense, Bosch also gave a particular char- on Patmos and John the Baptist, as well as that of acter to the environment in which he painted Sts Jerome and Anthony, deliberately suggests a his saints. It is remarkable that, on the one hand, non-realistic representation of the topography. Jheronimus Bosch drew and painted with the utmost precision the animals, people and objects Knowledge of the Near East that he observed, while, on the other, he was to- tally unconcerned about realistic topographical When we take into consideration Jheronimus representation. Even more remarkably, he de- Bosch’s socio-cultural context we must assume picted the holy places using urban architecture that he would have been acquainted, to a cer- that was either a general reference to his own tain extent, with exotic buildings in the Near surroundings, or else was composed of bizarre East. Bernhard von Breydenbach’s Peregrinatio buildings. At the same time, it appears from the in terram sanctam, illustrated with woodcuts and socio-cultural context that Bosch must have published in Mainz in 1486, was most probably had some idea from others, and undoubtedly known in ’s-Hertogenbosch. In addition to the also from the visual material of his time, of the Latin edition, it also appeared in French, Ger- buildings and urban structure of Jerusalem and man, Spanish, and in 1483-84 in Dutch.2 Erhard other places in the Holy Land. Nevertheless, he Reuwich from Utrecht, had travelled to Jeru- consciously chose not to localize these settings, salem with Von Breydenbach in 1483-84 and but to depict buildings that were scarcely or made drawings during the journey, drawings completely indefinable and to present unrecog- which were probably the basis for the woodcuts nizable views. in the book, which he also printed. It is con- ceivable that Bosch based a number of the exotic Sacred Topography animals to be found in the Paradise wing of the ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ on the illustrations Scenes from the life of Christ form a relatively in Von Breydenbach,3 while he ignored the ar- large group in the painted oeuvre of Jheronimus chitecture almost entirely. He is likely also to Bosch:1 the Adoration of the Magi in the Prado have drawn inspiration for the buildings of the and the panel of the same subject in New York, Holy Land from the illustrations of Hartmann Christ Crowned with Thorns in London and on Schedel’s Weltchronik, first published in Nurem- the exterior of the Last Judgement in Bruges, berg in 1493 in both Latin and German editions. the Ecce Homo in Frankfurt and the version in It is highly probable that this printed book was Boston of the same subject from Bosch’s studio, used by Bosch, in particular as a source for the Christ Carrying the Cross in Vienna and in the left wing of the Garden of Earthly Delights. God Escorial, and the Calvary in Brussels. Moreover the Father with the accompanying text on the Bosch painted a full Passion cycle in two of his exterior and the exotic trees on the Paradise side works, on the grisaille side of the St John on Pat- appear to be based directly on the woodcuts in mos and on the exterior of the Adoration Trip- Schedel’s book.4 tych in the Prado. With the exception of both Distant lands were known in ’s-Hertogen- versions of the Christ Crowned with Thorns and bosch, and not only at second hand or from lit- 287 Jos Koldeweij erature imported from elsewhere. In the second ‘Holy Sepulchre’ in St John’s Cathedral in ’s- half of the fourteenth century a Franciscan friar Hertogenbosch [Den Bosch] except a sculp- from ’s-Hertogenbosch set out on a journey tured late Gothic head of Christ, of exception- round the world, travelling to the north as well ally quality. During the Second World War as to Asia and Africa. His account of his journey this head of Christ was still exhibited in Den has been lost, but parts were known from indi- Bosch with St John’s noted as the place it was rect sources. When in 1569 Gerardus Mercator found. Later, having passed through the hands published his renowned map of the world, in- of various art dealers, it came to the Metropoli- novative because the curved form was shown tan Museum of Art in New York.9 The founda- on a flat surface, he justified his knowledge tion of this Holy Sepulchre and the presence of of the area round the North Pole by referring this sculpture can probably be attributed to the to the Itinerario, the journey of a certain Jacob wealthy Lodewijk Beys. Considering his three Cnoyen from ’s-Hertogenbosch.5 Mercator had trips to Jerusalem and the status being a Knight probably borrowed the account of the journey of the Sepulchre gave him, he certainly had from his friend Abraham Ortelius, the Antwerp both the interest and the motivation. Beys em- cartographer. Indeed, when in 1577 the English phasized this status in the records of the magis- mathematician and astronomer John Dee asked trates in Den Bosch by having eques auratus ter- Mercator about the manuscript and the latter rae sanctae [golden knight of the Holy Land] set asked Ortelius for another chance to see it, the by his name.10 Lodewijk Beys’s life style was in manuscript was not to be found. Thanks to the accordance with the quality of the sculptured notes made by Mercator, which he passed on to head: his residence on the Market, ‘De Leeu- John Dee, we know something of the contents. wenburg’, was extremely genteel. When Arch- Whether friar Jacob Cnoyen’s text was known duke Maximilian and his son Philip the Fair in ’s-Hertogenbosch in Jheronimus Bosch’s spent the winter of 1504-05 in ’s-Hertogen- time, is unknown. A transcription of this travel bosch his ‘new wife, the Empress called Maria book was stored in the library of the Church of Bianca (Sforza), the daughter of the Duke of St Gudula in Brussels under the title ‘account Milan, was lodged on the Market and then in of a traveller from ’s-Hertogenbosch of what he the house of Lodewijk Beys’ (nieuwe huysvrou, heard and saw in the lands of the unbelievers’. die keyserinne genaemt vrou Blancke Maria, des hartogen dochter van Milanen […] gelo- Pilgrimages geert aen die Merct […] te weten in Loey Beys- huys).11 Maximilian himself and his son found Jheronimus Bosch would have had more di- lodging in the nearby Dominican monastery,12 rect information from speaking to the suc- from where they conducted the war against cessful merchant Lodewijk Beys or Buys, who Guelders.13 The mansion of Lodewijk Beys was lived near him on the genteel north side of the only a few houses away from the considerably Market in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Jan Goessens van smaller house in which Jheronimus Bosch lived Aken, woodcarver and painter, and a cousin after his marriage to Aleid van de Meervenne.14 of Jheronimus Bosch, was married to the il- Aleid had inherited the house from her grand- legitimate daughter of the merchant.6 In 1500 father, and after the death of Jheronimus – the Lodewijk Beys undertook a pilgrimage to Je- couple remained childless – it reverted to her rusalem. He returned safely, and set off for the family.15 same destination again in 1504 and yet again Lodewijk Beys was certainly not the only in 1513.7 Lodewijk Beys died in 1516 or 1517, citizen of Den Bosch who went to the Holy not only a pilgrim who had reached Jerusalem, Land in Jheronimus Bosch’s day. The archives but also a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. Ac- of the city give a number of names of those who cording to his wish, he was buried ‘in Sint Jans made the journey to Jerusalem.16 In 1462 Jan kercke voor theylich graft’ (in St John’s before Ghysselen departed (returned in 1464?). Willem the Holy Sepulchre).8 Nothing remains of this van Brakel was in the Holy Land in 1467, in 288 Jerusalem and Other Holy Places As Represented by Jheronimus Bosch 1470 the son of the goldsmith Henrick Pelgrom Bosch’s Topography and Willem Henricx van Herlaer set out. Dirk Dirksz de Bever left in 1483. In 1489 Dirk van When we analyse Bosch’s buildings and views Meerlaer and Dirk Peter Pels promised to travel we have to conclude that, while he painted ex- to Jerusalem, but it is unclear whether they ac- otic and even irrational structures and archi- tually went. Gerit van Wijck left in 1490 and tectural forms, the landscapes and buildings, returned safely. In 1495 Jan Alarts together with although not realistic, were actually inspired by Ricald van den Broeck set out.

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