In a message dated 12/20/00 3:16:22 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> Pat, which essay are you thinking of with regard to millenialism? As I
> understand Gombrich, he is a very stimulating writer and strong thinker,
> but was "really" a Renaissance expert w/ an eye for the antique and had
> little or nothing to say about the 11th century popular culture
Leah,
I was thinking of Gombrich on Bosch's Garden of Delights, where G seemed to
feel Bs imagery could be explained in terms of millenialism, and seemed to
know a great deal about millenialism (mostly from medieval encyclopedias). I
wasn't persuaded that this was a meaningful approach to Bosch, so didn't look
into it beyond noting that Gombrich seemed to know a great deal about
millenialism, and his essay might be a good place to start for anyone wanting
to look into the subject. Gombrich is a good mind but hard to classify, as he
writes in so many areas. He's probably as out of fashion as Focillon, though
that doesn't particularly bother me. I like that he's visually oriented. Gs
essay on Bosch is actually a longish survey of the literature, in which G
ultimately suggests that millenialism need more attention (as an aid to
understanding Bosch). If you want the title, I'll look it up in my notes,
though I haven't thought about Bosch for some time.
What area(s) are you working in?
pat sloane
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