For centuries, humans have been obsessed with the unsettling. In the modern age, we continue to embrace the horror genre, typically in cinema, literature, or other entertainment mediums. However, from an artistic perspective, frightening imagery and culture have evolved significantly. While most people imagine the most dated form of disturbing fiction to be the likes of Nosferatu or Frankenstein, I think that this genre is deeply rooted in the 16th and 17th centuries. Inspired by religious morality, many artists of this period in history attempted to illustrate the “heretic fate,” which led to some truly unsettling imagery. One of my favorite artists of this era would be Heironymous Bosch, a legend of the Northern Renaissance recognized for his distinguishably grotesque paintings. Bosch certainly strayed far from the contemporary genres of the era, illustrating sprawling landscapes inhabited by a multitude of detailed curiosities. Bosch, a Dutch Christian, had an unconventional way of approaching religious themes. While the Italian Renaissance focused on secular ideologies, the Northern Renaissance sought to revive religious fervor by depicting traditional religious imagery in popular mediums. Bosch focused heavily on human vices such as self-indulgence and the resulting judgment within the context of religious ideology. An excellent example of this theme is illustrated in Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, a three-panel oil painting that seeks to demonstrate the perils of temptation.
In the left and center panels, Bosch illustrated a bright fictional oasis inhabited by an outstanding population of nude figures and fleshy textured structures. While this landscape is playful, it is equally grotesque and unsettling. Bosch’s successful application of perspective makes it appear as though it stretches infinitely, and after looking at this painting multiple times, I constantly find myself discovering a new peculiarity. However, once you direct your attention to the rightmost panel, you discover a dreary, dark, and uncertain hellscape accompanied by its fair share of disturbing chimeras and abnormal objects. In this dark reality, humans seem to be at the mercy of their obsessions. An example would be a figure in the foreground that is seemingly trapped in the strings of a giant harp. Additionally, traditional depictions of hell appear, such as pits of fire and dark silhouettes of dimly lit buildings. It’s incredibly surreal and terrifying. The message reads across pretty clearly, which is seemingly Bosch’s intent. However, there is so much room for interpretation with respect to his otherworldly creations and the expansiveness of the landscape. This is what makes Bosch’s work entertaining and chilling, regardless of its allegorical nature. Now reverting back to the present, it is admittedly difficult to draw parallels between the works of Bosch and the modern horror genre. From Bosch’s time to the present, the definition of the genre slowly shaped itself through folklore, mysticism, and popular culture.
While Bosch’s work is indirectly horror, it was successful in its purpose of instilling virtue through fright. So, where does the modern genre fail? This can be attributed to its lack of inspiration and focus on generating a quick thrill rather than a lasting impression. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of horror movies, so I think it’s laughable that twelve Friday the 13th movies have been released in the last four decades. There is a reason films like Midsommar, Pan’s Labyrinth, Silence of the Lambs, and Get Out have so much more cultural traction. These films possess all of the characteristics of a successful scare. They do the underlying themes justice while also engaging audiences through their unsettling atmosphere, storytelling, and artistic choices. I recognize that visual arts are typically meant for the purpose of entertainment, but has there ever been a time you’ve looked at a painting, listened to a song, or watched a movie that evoked a specific emotion or caused you to self-reflect? This is why I believe Bosch was a master of the unsettling; he lured you in with his creatures, curiosities, and imagination and spat you out with a sense of uncertainty.
