Fish with Mast JB05 - Hiëronymus Bosch

HIERONYMUS BOSCH - Fish with Mast JB05

This armoured fish moves in the water like a boat in front of the main scene: the celebration of ‘black mass’. In the Temptation of Saint Anthony, fish appear in all shapes and sizes. This ones still swims, but his fellow sort can be found on dry land or even in the air. Up there they serve as cold-blooded means of conveyance for, what could be witches. Now we would suspect a broomstick here.

The Temptation of Saint Anthony

Saint Anthony won a lot of praise in Hiëronymus Bosch’s heyday. He resisted diabolical temptations, in sharp contrast with the ordinary mortals, as this triptych portrays in splendid colours.
This armoured fish moves in the water like a boat in front of the main scene: the celebration of ‘black mass’.