Hoogstede 2023
“The Vienna Last Judgement Triptych revisited: notes on comparing paintings” (Luuk Hoogstede) 2023
[in: Jos Koldeweij and Willeke Cornelissen (eds.), Jheronimus Bosch – His Workshop and His Followers – 5th International Jheronimus Bosch Conference, May 11-13, 2023, Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. Jheronimus Bosch Art Center, ’s-Hertogenbosch, 2023, pp. 342-354]
All the panels of Bosch’s Vienna Last Judgement triptych show numerous minor and major changes in the underdrawing as well as in the painting stages. Later additions, dating from after 1520-25, include numerous retouchings as well as extensive overpainting applied in multiple campaigns of cleaning and restoration in the left and right interior panels. The exterior panels and the central panel are better preserved and therefore more suitable for a comparison of details within the triptych and in other Bosch paintings, although interpretation always remains prone to subjectivity. Hoogstede then sums up six of the major characteristics of the painting in the Vienna triptych’s interior panels. Some of these characteristics can also be found in some other paintings by Bosch, whereas others cannot. However, Bosch’s artistic development is not as clear as we would like, and the chronology of his paintings remains an issue. It seems safe to assume workshop involvement in particular for the largest paintings. The Vienna Last Judgement may help us gain a better understanding of the working practices of Bosch’s studio, but further research of the available technical data is required.
[explicit May 20, 2024 – Eric De Bruyn]
