Examples of surreal visual art from Bosch in about 1500, through Piranesi’s Imaginary Prison, Richard Dadd, to Félix Vallotton in 1892.
Bosch
Bishop’s crosier, monarch’s sceptre, field-marshal’s baton, or just another fashion accessory?
From mythology, Mercury’s caduceus and the Aesculapian Staff, walking sticks as a device indicating age, and those carried by travellers.
Another remarkable sequence by Bosch, followed by Ferrari’s fresco account of the Life and Passion of Christ, ending with the Passion of the Apostles.
Few paintings attempt to tell the full story of the Passion. Here are remarkable works by Duccio, Hans Memling, and Hieronymus Bosch.
Like eyes and the rest of the face, hands are most usually seen uncovered in figurative paintings. These paintings show gloved hands which have special purposes and meaning.
It’s unusual and difficult to make humorous paintings. Here’s a fine selection from Bosch, Brueghel and Rubens to the late 19th century.
Why did Bosch show people wearing funnels on their heads? Why the Roundheads? How to tell priestly rank by the hat, and more about chaperons and top hats.
A saint banished to the island of Patmos, a history wound around a column, and a megalomaniac emperor strangled in his bath by a professional wrestler.
With Umberto Eco as our guide, explore Parnassus, the Garden of Earthly Delights, Alcina’s island, Colchis, and the Garden of the Hesperides.
