De Bruyn 1991
“Het Madrileense Tafelblad: een iconografische benadering” (Eric De Bruyn) 1991
[in: Jaarboek Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, 1991, pp. 9-60]
This article offers a profound iconographic analysis of the Prado Tabletop, dealing with the Eye of Christ, the Seven Deadly Sins, the Four Last Things and the two quotations from Deuteronomy respectively. Not every Bosch scholar accepts Bosch’s authorship but nobody will deny that the panel belongs to the master’s close environment. Although all iconographic elements of the painting can be traced back to existing traditions, the panel’s originality is effected through the unique way in which all these elements are fused together. The quotations from Deuteronomy point out that the painter, whether he was Bosch himself or one of his followers, was quite familiar with the Bible.
[explicit 26th March 2016]