Bosch and Breugal

[Doug Alan <nessus>]

This is interesting, so I figure I should forward it to love-hounds
(besides, I have to test out the digestification software) (Ooops, new
software blew up first time around, let's try again.....):

Date: Wed, 28 Aug 85 16:21:03 EST
From: hsut@purdue-ecn.ARPA (Tsun-Yuk Hsu)

	A few words about Bosch and Breugal...

	I used to a big Bosch fan (even had a set of postcards of
his paintings!) You've probably seen Bosch without knowing who it was.
His style is immediately recognizable. All his figures are rendered
more or less realistically, but he has done a number of painting on
fantastic objects. The earlier stuff is fairly prosaic in subject matter,
though a strong streak of cynicism and irony runs through his work.
Fantastic figures appear in later works such as The Garden of Earthly
Delights (I think), a massive work depicting hundreds of nude male
and female figures frolicking in a garden with marvelous plants and
creatures. Another huge work depict numerous human figures enduring
torture in hell. There are also quieter paintings where fantastic
creatures (not always identifiable) lurk in the background, such as
the picture of the Temptation of St. Anthony.

	I know much less about Breugal, though I've mistaken his work
for Bosch's a few times (shame!) I guess you could paint like Bosch
and be described as a "Dutch realist"; Bosch basically paints clearly
and realistically --- only his subject matter is fantastic. I have seen
the Time-Life book "The Mind" where the theory of Bosch's schizophrenia
has been proposed. Apparently, mental patients with different ailments
produce art reflecting their problems, and schizophrenics like to
draw lots of little figures running around doing demented things.

	If there's enough interest, I seek more expert opinion on
Breugal. Hey, I thought this mailing list was about music!! :-)


					Bill Hsu
					pur-ee!hsut