Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450 – August 9, 1516)

                                                                                      

The Garden of Earthly Delights

1503-1504

As a quick warning, you should not open the above picture on a slow internet connection: it is over 13MBs in size. But, in that enormous bulk lies Bosch's genius, for over a single canvas–or panel as is the case above–thousands of esoteric symbols and fancies abound. To me, Bosch's symbolism even seems to be the visual arts equivalent of Joyce's writing. But the more simple truth is that as a child I used to stare longer into his paintings than into any others, because, try as other painters might, they never quite captured the wild rapture of a child's imagination as did Hieronymus Bosch. 

Christ Crowned with Thorns

1510

Saint John on Patmos

1489

The Temptations of Saint Anthony

c.1500