Heaven and Hell in Medieval art?

Look up Hironymous Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights which is a triptych (three parts) and you will see his rendition of Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Better still, you can get an idea of how Dante saw it (his book DIVINE COMEDY) where he presents Hell, heaven and purgatory in a long poem. The ceiling of the Baptistry at the Cathedral in Florence, Italy, which (I think) is done is mosaic, tells it all. Bosch's work is in the Prado in Madrid and is huge - the pictures you see of it will be very small, but very definitive. Both pieces are very graphic.

The people of that time had no way of knowing if the depictions of heaven and hell were real or not.

I suspect that art could have been used as a teaching tool to instill fear in the masses. These images from the Medieval period are everywhere, even today.

Brought up a catholic I remember very well the 'signs of the cross' that is hung around the walls of many catholic churches.

Following each painting or carving in order will tell the story of Jesus carrying the cross to his own Crucifixion. Pretty grim stuff.

I rejected religion when I was about 10.

I realised that God was man made....I would have been executed for saying such things in Medieval times.

Here's a picture of hell from the Hortus Deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (1180):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f...

And another known as The Last Judgment, Torcello Cathedral mosaic, Byzantine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Torcellomosaic....

Although Renaissance, here's a popular triptych, by Hans Memling entitled The Last Judgment (1467-1471):

http://www.muzeum.narodowe.gda.pl/last_judgement.h...

Also, do an image search for "last judgment" and you will find a lot of examples to help you.

Bosch, Garden of earthly delights, has hell to and and Pieter Bruegel. The picture 'the triumph of death' especially. Really look at the characters and what its saying as well. These old paintings had vast storys and themes in them. They are on wikipedia.

Rent the DVD The Celts. It has several scenes in which medieval art is portrayed. But better yet it shows a church that has the sculpture of the rise and descent.

check out two books...medieval art by james snyder...

also fragmentation and redemption by caroline walker bynum. the second book is a book of essays on gender and the human body in medieval religion...but there are some decent pics that might give you ideas.

i have other volumes but can't locate them offhand...email me if you have no luck with these or anything anyone else suggests...

I don't know of any medieval art sites but you may find this interesting/useful: www.michaelwhelan.com & www.imaginistix.com - Julie Bell did the artwork for Meatloaf's latest album & it's all a bit Heaven / Hell type art.

Look up "Dance Macrbe" this was are that was created around the Black Death and shows, almost, hell on earth.

Alos look up William Blake - later than medeival, but some great ideas.

Hironymous Bosch (not sure of the correct spelling) did many famous paintings of hell, torture for sinners etc. Try googling his name and work.

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