Hieronymus Bosch, Touched by the Devil

Hieronymus Bosch: Touched By the Devil follows the development of an art exhibition celebrating the 500th anniversary of Bosch's birth at a museum in the artist's hometown. Although the film requires a keen attention span and leaves one wishing to learn more about the artist, it offers good insights about the art world.

The documentary is at its best when focusing on the intricacies of constructing an art exhibition. The curators are faced with numerous issues, not the least of which is determining which paintings are actually works by Bosch. They employ some surprisingly high tech methods in their quest for the truth. Some of the best moments in the film are when a curator tells someone whether the work they've volunteered for the exhibition is - or isn't - by Bosch.

However, the film also digs into the seamier side of the art world. We encounter collectors who purchase art works they don't appreciate simply for their value as an investment. Viewers also get a look at the wrangling that goes on when one museum tries to borrow an art work from another, with the curators at a certain Spanish museum displaying an unseemly glee over the fact that they have more works by the Dutch Bosch than Bosch's hometown.

The main challenge facing a documentary dealing with Hieronymus Bosch is that little is actually known about his life. Even with this restriction, it would have been nice if the curators had engaged in a bit of speculation about what forces molded his distinctive vision. Was he an early surrealist? Was he mentally ill? Even so, the film is worthwhile for those who are interested in art.

This movie is defenetly not what I expected it to be with only just seen the trailer and not read anything about it. I needed it to be a bit more analytical regarding the masterpieces. Hoewever, it is a one to watch. It is stunning that I saw new masterpieces ( something I did not expect) as well as widely known ones.

There is very little known of Bosch's life, or of his art training, but it is unanimously agreed that his painting style was very influential.

Born (1450?) in the Netherlands - Hieronymus Bosch not only produced some fantastic illustrations depicting various religious concepts - But much of his work also displayed humanity's deepest fears and desires, as well (in a most startling fashion).

*Note* - In 1516 - Hieronymus Bosch (65 at the time) died of unknown causes.

I don't really agree with the other reviewer Henk Sonnemans. I think the point he mentions as flaws, were in the documentary on purpose. Because the question will remain whether something is a real Bosch or not... Made by the hands of others in his workplace or a combination. I do think though that it would have been more interesting to really see some more details about what the restorers do and how they do it. for example the point where you see the woman filling in gaps with paint, which looks quite scary considering the worth of such a painting. There is mainly some shots and one elaboration about the wood (which was great). The filming and editing are great in my opinion! Nice combination of music, sounds and shots and great use of natural light.

"Hieronymus Bosch, Touched by the Devil" attempts to showcase the world of art curation, preservation, and history through the work of a team of Dutch Bosch experts.

The documentary feels disjointed due to editing and narrative choices. It'll jump from shot to shot and scene to scene without a sense of direction and focus. Several narrative topics are touched upon, but none in any fulfilling way. As well, there is no strong protagonist or person we can identify with as an audience. The people who are put forth are tightlipped and unsympathetic. The conclusion of the film warrants a reaction of, "That's it? So, what was the focal point?"

What this documentary reveals is that even for as interesting a figure as Bosch, with the wrong director and direction, a film about this master painter can become fairly mundane.