Is Fantasy Art New To Us?
No. Fantasy Art has been with the human race for thousands of years. Mankind has always been made of dreamers. If we didn’t have dreamers then we wouldn’t have the luxuries and technologies that we now enjoy.
The discovery of prehistoric cave paintings depicted mythical creatures, gods and imaginary fantasy beasts. Is it a possibility that what was depicted on the stone walls, existed or was it just imagination? Only the prehistoric man knows.
(Picture featured — Pech Merle Prehistory Center)
In my research if there were anyone to be considered the father of fantasy art it would have to be Hieronymous Bosch (c. 1450 - 1516). A lavish Early Netherlandish painter of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. His works depicted sin, human degradation and immorality. What you would see in his paintings was unreal landscapes, burning buildings, wicked human figures, demons and exotic, phantasmagorical objects. Bosch’s painting techniques were rendered with a delicate precision of that time period.
I find Bosch’s paintings for that time, advanced, vibrant and disturbing. The 15th century ushered in the modern era, a confluence of changing languages, ideology, and technology. The 15th century was the precursor to the Reformation of the 16th century. This was a time when many changes occured as the medieval period was coming to an end.
I believe that Bosch witnessed a great many things throughout his life that caused his distorted view of the world. Also, the astringent and harsh machinations of churches, religions and governments played a part in this view. Bosch’s overall sense of art would later be cultivated and further refined several hundred years later by artists such as Salvador Dali and H. R. Giger.
Bosch’s most famous work is the disconcerted Garden of Earthly Delights.
A large triptych, it’s original function remains a mystery.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I remember Bosch from Art History class. He was really big on the symbolism thing, wasn’t he? His stuff was very detailed. Also, my one bit of trivia: His real name was Jeroen van Aken. (though I’ve seen it spelled “Jerome” as well.)