Article Written by Duncan Burden
(Part of Top Ten Paintings and Works of Arts with Secret Messages)
Hieronymus Bosch, like his fellow Dutch artist – Pieter Bruegel the Elder, is known for abstract art. His work is often comprising of a host of detailed images of people and characters all entwining in depicted scenes. Indeed, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was known to be an admiring follower of Bosch’s work and style, which is evident when you review both artist’s works.
Like most artists on the top ten list, Bosch’s work is incredibly famous, especially with his depictions of hell. Art scholars have for reviewed his work for centuries, and have come to recognize that his macabre sense of understanding human fears of divine judgement and of an eternity of punishment in hell, are perfectly represented in his work.
His most prominent works are his commissioned altarpieces, most significantly one entitled ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, believed to be completed between 1495 and 1505. The work depicts three scenes, heaven, earth and hell. In the latter scene there are various wild images, mostly scary representations of demons and methods of torture for the damned. It is in this work that a secret was found.
This secret wasn’t discovered by any specialist, but an innocent blogger named ‘Amelia’ who posted on her Tumblr account that she had found some hidden musical notes in the painting. Indeed, in one of the small images of the depictions of hell, Amelia noticed that a sheet of music could be seen, and below it was more music written on a human bottom. This was assumed, or accepted, to have been just a randomly image of music, with no more significance than showing the indignity of the poor character bent over and having a demon play the tune. Actually the notes proved not to be random and a coherent tune could be played, now called the ‘Sinner’s Hymn’.
~Article written by Duncan Burden
Duncan Burden enjoys researching history. Although he often writes on Masonic issues, since he has been a Freemason for most of his adult life and is a member of various Masonic bodies, such as the Royal and Select Master Masons, and Operative Masons, he takes pleasure in writing on all historic, mysterious, and exciting topics.
He was born on the Norfolk Coast, and now lives in Hertfordshire, England.
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