A fascinating first edition of The Millennium of Hieronymus Bosch: Outlines of a New Interpretation by German art historian Wilhelm Fränger, published by the University of Chicago Press in 1951.
Translated into English by Eithne Wilkins and Ernst Kaiser, this influential study offers a highly unconventional reading of Hieronymus Bosch and his mysterious visual language.
Rather than approaching Bosch simply as a painter of sin, temptation, and hell, Fränger interprets the strange figures, animals, gestures, fruits, musical instruments, and fantastical imagery throughout Bosch’s paintings as part of a complex symbolic and religious system. His controversial theory connects Bosch, particularly The Garden of Earthly Delights, with the medieval mystical movement known as the Brethren of the Free Spirit.
The book remains an intriguing piece of Bosch scholarship and a wonderful example of mid-century art-historical writing—especially interesting for anyone drawn to Renaissance symbolism, medieval mysticism, or the enigmatic world of Hieronymus Bosch.
This 1951 first edition contains 164 pages with color and monochrome plates and illustrations throughout.
A beautiful and intellectually fascinating vintage addition to an art book collection.
Details
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Year: 1951
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Title: The Millennium of Hieronymus Bosch: Outlines of a New Interpretation
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Author: Wilhelm Fränger
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Translated by: Eithne Wilkins & Ernst Kaiser
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Edition: First Edition
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Pages: 164
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Illustrations: 4 tipped-in color plates, 23 monochrome plates, and 8 illustrations in text
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Format: Hardcover with original dust jacket
Condition
Vintage condition with visible age and wear to the original dust jacket, including rubbing, toning, and edge wear. The book itself is in good vintage condition. Please see photos carefully for the condition of the jacket and overall book.
