Hieronymus Bosch Fire And Ice

Discovery offers the opportunity to alter perspectives and change typical understandings of the human experience. Robert Frost’s poems ‘Mending Wall’ and ‘Fire and Ice’, each portray the process of discovery that has resulted from their respective persona’s observation of the world. Similarly, Henry David Thoreau’s personal memoir ‘Walden’ acts as a thoughtful reflection regarding the impact of the natural environment upon the world-view of the author. Finally, Hieronymus Bosch’s triptych painting, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, visually depicts the corrupting physical discoveries that led to the biblical fall of man. Each of these texts has ably represented discovery as an intensely meaningful undertaking that has the potential to challenge …show more content…
Bosch’s use of the triptych form chronologically depicts the process of physical discovery, moving from an image of the Garden of Eden, to a fantastical false paradise, to hell. The transitioning colour palette, from vibrant blues and greens to a predominantly black and yellow final panel emphasizes the devastating nature of this progression. The visual depictions of promiscuity in the triptych’s center panel mirror “those who favour fire” in Frost’s poem. Bosch’s depiction of Hell is filled with ironic punishments for these deviants, such as those who had indulged in gluttony being eaten alive, establishing a link between the discovery of these sins and mankind’s eventual suffering. However, while ‘Fire and Ice’ would imply that its predicted apocalypse is inevitable, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ holds a more moralistic message, evidenced by the presence of an actual paradise in the leftmost panel where the physical discoveries of overindulgence are not present. Thus, ‘Fire and Ice’ adopts a fatalistic approach to discovery, accepting the process as a fact of life, regardless of its outcome. Conversely, Bosch’s painting is more didactic, attempting to convince its audience that some discoveries are better left