The Swarm of Birds in Hieronymus Bosch's Paintings jwr47

(based on the Dutch pdf-version: De Opvliegende Vogelschaar Van Hieronymus Bosch)

Swarms of birds in “The Garden of Earthly Delights”

At my visit of the exhibition 'Jheronimus Bosch – Visions of a Genius' I noticed HieronymusBosch used a number of swarming birds' which may form various sizes from a few birds to largeformations.

In the triptichon The Garden of Earthly Delights Hieronymus Bosch depicts two swarms, one ofwhich is to be found in the left panel and the other one in the right panel.

In the left panel a swarm of black and white birds is leaving a tower. Obviously this event occursdirectly after the Creation of Man and therefore we may consider the birds as swarming angels.

In a nearby building the swarm (of black and white birds) seems to return from a trip, in which lotsof white birds return although lots of black birds are leaving the tower.

1: Left panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch

Are the birds symbolizing farts?

Some of these sketches depict birds escaping from a naked backside. Are these escaping birdssymbolizing farts?

The right panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights contains a scene in which a swarm of black birdsescapes the anus. Is this scene referring to the left panel?

The black birds may symbolize fornication and dishonor.

In the right panel black birds are leaving a human-like body, which is swallowed by a bird.

2: Right panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights byHieronymus Bosch

Beehive and witches

In a B&W-sketch Beehive and witches Bosch depicts a swarm of bids escaping from the anus,which obviously is going to be hit by a musician. A surrounding crowd of children (?) seems to betrying to catch the birds.

Public domain - Jheronimus Bosch (ca. 1450–1516)

The scene displays a person who is stuck in a beehive. The birds are escaping from his anus.

3: Beehive and witches (from Hieronymus Bosch drawings)

Jwr47's interpretation of Bosch's swarms of birds

At Creation Day the swarm of birds may symbolize angels or souls. Their color black or white maysymbolize the sexes male / female or procreation, eventually also lust.

In my own interpretation of symbolism the bird swarms arise from an orange-headed bird manwearing a dark hat, who is devouring a human body. It refers to the scene of the Right panel of TheGarden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch.

The birds swarming from body surprise a redhaired spiritual person at the left side of the scene.These birds symbolically transform to a sperm cell which is heading to the spiritual person at theright side of the scene.

The redhaired spiritual person at the right side of the scene transforms the bird stream into anorange bird head which is devouring a human corpse. The woman symbolizes the responsibility forprocreation.

The human body merely symbolizes the medium for procreation of the sperm cells. The bird manmust devour human bodies to procreate and wears a black hat to symbolize the undertaker.

In its current form the painting is a primary concept, which may be detailed. The painting's width is100cm and its height is 50cm.

This painting has been based on a former group of four women, from which two images have beenrepainted to form the left and right persons.

Oil painting, 25.5.2016, 100cm x 50cm, may 2016

4: jwr47's vision and interpretation of Bosch's bird swarm

ContentsSwarms of birds in “The Garden of Earthly Delights” ...................................................................1Are the birds symbolizing farts?......................................................................................................2Beehive and witches .......................................................................................................................3Jwr47's interpretation of Bosch's swarms of birds...........................................................................4