Hieronymus Bosch at the Noordbrabants Museum

June 11, 2016 - September 18, 2016

500 years have passed since the death of Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450 -1516), possibly the most important and well-known medieval Dutch artist. Following the success of Hieronymus Bosch - Visions of Genius, Het Noordbrabants Museum is now hosting other tributes to this extraordinary painter.

Discover the exhibition programme for Jheronimus Bosch.
Read more about the importance of this genius yet ‘devilish’ painter.
1. Jan Fabre: Bosch in Congo
Date: 11 June through 18 September 2016
Fabre’s monumental ‘mosaic panels’ from the series Tribute to Hieronymus Bosch in Congorepresent the cruelties and absurdity suffered by the former Belgian colony of the Congo.
2. Masterpieces from the Brukenthal collection
Date: 18 June through 9 October 2016
Flemish and Dutch masters from the time before and after Hieronymus Bosch as represented in the Romanian Brukenthal collection. Together with Jheronimus Bosch, painters like Jan van Eyck, Jacob Jordaens and Pieter Brueghel the Younger lifted painting in the Low Countries to the highest level.
3. The Return of the Elephant
Date: 29 October 2016 through 29 January 2017
Hieronymus Bosch inspired many paintings and graphic reproductions, and even tapestries. This exhibition shows 16tth century etchings, wood reliefs, and the new wall tapestry designed by Jan Fabre and woven at the Textiel Museum (Textile Museum).
4. The Seven Deadly Sins: Gurt Swanenberg and Pieter Bruegel
Date: 29 October 2016 through 29 January 2017
The Seven Deadly Sins is a source of inspiration for artist Gurt Swanenberg. He uses very thin brushes to paint fantastical details on animal skeletons. The etchings of the famous artist Pieter Bruegel, who was also inspired by this theme, are shown with Swanenberg’s works.
The era’s themes
Hieronymus Bosch became famous with his predilection for fantastical works filled with monsters, devils, angels and saints. These figures were incorporated into images full of illusions, hallucinations and nightmares, a combination that enabled him to visualise the themes of his era: temptation, sin, and accountability.
Inspiring
Since he worked in the period before and after 1500, an era of transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, Hieronymus’ paintings and drawings reflect the relationship between man, his environment and his creator in an extraordinary way. Hieronymus Bosch is believed to have been a genius, an artist who depicted worlds in his work that his contemporaries believed to be impossible. Bosch is among the best artists of all times. He inspired countless generations and continues to inspire artists even today. The many works on loan from the Musée du Louvre, Museo Nacional del Prado and Metropolitan Museum, among others, allow you to enjoy a broad selection of his work never brought together before.
Large-scale study
The preparation work for the exhibition in Het Noordbrabants Museum began in 2007. The foundation for the exceptional loans was laid with the Bosch Research and Conservation Project (BRCP), an ambitious and large-scale international art history study developed together with the Jheronimus Bosch 500 Foundation and Radboud University of Nijmegen. A team of international experts, united in the BRCP, have spent the past six years intensively and systematically studying and documenting virtually the entire oeuvre of the master Bosch worldwide, something never done before. In continuation of that research and preparations for the exhibition in Den Bosch, a large number of paintings were also restored. The results of the Bosch Research and Conservation Project form the basis of the exhibition in 2016.
Jheronimus Bosch 500: A year filled with festivities
The exhibition is the highlight of the National Event Year Jheronimus Bosch 500 that is to be celebrated in 2016 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the painter’s death. In addition to this big exhibition at Het Noordbrabants Museum, many other events and festivities relating to Hieronymus Bosch will be organised in 2016 in Den Bosch.