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Iconology of the Wayfarer Triptych – Detail

Location of Visual Attribute

Interior Panels of the Wayfarer Triptych

#300

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

Two naked men swim in the dark water in front of the boat, one trying to climb on board, the other holding his full bowl above the water line. (p. 191)

Fischer, 2016

Jheronimus Bosch

Keywords

Nudity;

Category

Social life, culture and activities

Interpretation Type

InfoSensorium Facet (Sum, 2022)
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Layer of meaning (van Straten, 1994)	Conception of Information (Furner, 2004)	Level of knowledge (Nanetti, 2018)	View of reality (Popper, 1972, 1979; Gnoli, 2018)
Pre-iconographical description	Situations	Definitions	First world (Life, matter & form)

Reference Source(s)

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Symbolic Content

#177

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

Zeer zeker traden in de 15de en 16de eeuw in de Nederlanden mannen en vrouwen naakt voor het pubhek op, ook met Vastenavond [Bax, 1949, 116], maar van naakte zwemmers bij het Carnavalsfeest schijnt nergens sprake te zijn. Men kan ook deze figuren, waarvan één een drinkschaal opheft — het was in de 16de eeuw niets ongewoons, dat men de wijn uit een schaal dronk — symbolisch verklaren. Op een schilderij met pretmakers duwen naakte mannen over het water een wijn- of bierton voort [Bosch, ca. 1495–1500]. Nu betekenen de 16de-eeuwse uitdrukkingen „gheerne int natte sijn [Meyling, 1946, 45:344] en „gaeren bijden watere sijn, evenals de 17de-eeuwse gezegden „wel te Waater willen, „wel onder Waater willen, „gaarn met sijn neus in het nat sijn [Stoett, 1932, 10:202, 107] een liefhebber zijn van de drank. Dat „zwemmen ook in onkuise zin voor kan komen, is reeds aangetoond [Bax, 1949, 102]. Bij de naaktheid der dranklustigen kan men denken aan „naakt en „bloot in de betekenis van berooid [Bax, 1949, 116]. (p. 193)

Bax, 1949

Ontcijfering van Jeroen Bosch

#234

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

We see clearly in the painting the ignorant swimmers and the fool who succeeded in climbing high but soon will fall. (p. 34)

Benesch, 1957

Hieronymus Bosch and the thinking of the late Middle Ages.

#274

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

Deux nageurs, très maigres, s’ils sortaient de I’eau oh trempe leur folie, ne trouveraient de siège que sur le tonneau ou la planche qui fait office de table. Mais avant la fin de leur baignade, toute cette bande sinistre aura sombré dans I’onde et la honte. (p. 3)

de Boschère, 1947

Jérôme Bosch

#300

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

Two naked men swim in the dark water in front of the boat, one trying to climb on board, the other holding his full bowl above the water line. (p. 191)

Fischer, 2016

Jheronimus Bosch

#41

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

… the souls who cling to it. One of these she [Adhe_mar, 1962, 29] sees in the naked figure in the water. (p.272)

Cuttler, 1969

Bosch and the Narrenschiff: a problem in relationships

#454

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

Alongside the boat appear two nude swimmers, one holding out his wine cup for replenishment. (p. 41)

Gibson, 1973

Hieronymus Bosch

#501

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

Alongside the boat appear two nude swimmers, one holding out his wine cup for replenishment. (p. 30)

Bosing, 1987

Hieronymus Bosch c.1450-1516

#851

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

More drinks fills out the spaces in the Paris panel’s boat… a metal wine container cools more drink in the water at the bow. (p. 250)

Silver, 2006

Hieronymus Bosch

#95

Two men in the waters from Ship of Fools

By the side of The Ship of Fools there are two swimmers, reminiscent of those depicted in the Palazzo della Ragione in Padua as well as in numerous 15th-century miniatures and prints. Men standing in water are frequently found in illustrations of the phlegmatic temperament… (p.62)

Boczkowska, 1971

The Lunar Symbolism of The Ship of Fools by Hieronymus Bosch