Artwork
The Tree Man
The Tree Man is a print by the Renaissance artist Hieronymus Bosch. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Tree Man is an etching based on a drawing by Hieronymus Bosch, combining human, organic, and man-made elements into a fantastical creature.
Subject & Meaning
The creature is depicted with a hollow eggshell body, stilt-like legs, and arms ending in boats, with a tavern on its head. It may symbolize sinful decrepitude and folly, drawing on proverbial subjects common in Bosch's work, such as the ship of fools and the cracked egg.
Technique & Style
The print merges anthropomorphic, organic, and man-made elements, exemplifying Bosch's characteristic blending of disparate forms into monstrous hybrids.
History & Provenance
The etching is based on a drawing by Bosch, now held at the Albertina Museum, Vienna, and was later translated into a print by another artist.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hieronymus Bosch (; Dutch: ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; c. 1450 – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work,…
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