Lecture 25: Netherlandish Art in the 16th Century
The inscriptions on the scrolls at the top and bottom spell out the condition of
those whose sins have been seen by the eye of God. The lower one reads, “I
will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be.” Despite its
traditional title, it is not clear that the painting was used as an actual tabletop.
This painting also came into the possession of Philip II of Spain, who kept
it in his private apartments and probably treated it with care. Philip II turned
into a man so pious that he crippled himself through hours of prayerful
kneeling; the moral meaning of Bosch was probably foremost in his mind.We next turn to a work by Joachim Patinir (1480–1524) called The Penitence
of St. Jerome (c. 1518). This large, beautiful painting by Patinir has wonderful
details and contains one of the largest, most extensive landscapes painted up
to this time. The title of this altarpiece comes from St. Jerome in the center
panel. The left wing shows the Baptism of Christ, and the right wing shows
the Temptation of St. Anthony. Though the ¿ gures are large and, of course,
essential to the function of the painting as an altarpiece, it is the landscape
that is the star. The painting shows an immense panorama from mountain
to plain, spreading over all three panels, with a vista that attests to Patinir’s
memory of the Alps.Jan Gossaert (1478–1532) was called Mabuse. Our example shows a diptych,
Jean Carondelet with Madonna and Child (c. 1517). This work is small—less
than 20 inches high. The two panels faced each other when displayed. Jean
Carondelet was dean of the church at Besancon, a councilor to Charles V, and
a friend of Erasmus; thus, he was very involved in the religious turbulence of
the day. On the exterior, Carondelet’s coat of arms is on the right side in an
illusionistic niche, and a skull is on the left side. Above the skull is a strip of
paper with the words of St. Jerome inviting meditation on death.Our next work is a triptych called the Last Judgment (c. 1526–1527) by
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1538). Christ is depicted in judgment in the center,
with the resurrection taking place below him. Most people are waiting for
disposition; some are driven into hell, while others are led into paradise with
angels. This was the high altar of the Peterkerk (“Peter’s Church”) in Leiden
and one of the few survivors of the Protestant iconoclastic rage of August 28,
1566, which resulted in the destruction of most altarpieces in Leiden.