Hieronymus Bosch, detail, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490-1510. The Prado, Madrid.
Jonathan Jones, one of the UK’s foremost art critics and writers, asks what makes Renaissance art so beautiful and beguiling, and why the period between 1400 and 1600 produced so many greats.
Leonardo da Vinci, Hieronymus Bosch, Jan van Eyck, Titian and many more are re-interpreted in Jones’ new book Earthly Delights: A History of the Renaissance. He argues that a new sense of freedom and pleasure was unleashed in this age as merchants looked for art that reflected the reality of urban life, and tales from the New World inspired a new sense of what it is to be human. The portrait and the nude are at the heart of this Renaissance of “earthly delights”, when art was first recognised to be a special, unique joy in itself and artists first won recognition as minds of genius, as well as gifted makers.
Earthly Delights: A History of the Renaissance by Jonathan Jones is published by Thames & Hudson (19 October 2023). Ticket holders will receive a code for 30% off the £30 retail price of the book via their website. UK orders only.
Proceeds from ARTscapades ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.