Topic > Comparative Visual Analysis of Artworks: My World and Yours by Irving Norman and The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch

Great works of art are difficult to create. It can take years to adequately create and assemble meaning within them. One of these great works My World and Yours (1954), by Irving Norman is an oil on canvas that represents a utopian vision on the creation of the human race. It was created soon after the discovery of the double helix. Strikingly similar is the Garden of Earthly Delights (1505-1510), an oil on oak panel by Hieronymous Bosch of the Netherlands. The artistic style that each of these 2 works presented to us is quite similar. Each artwork strongly emphasizes the human form with almost all of them nude. The utopian society in which each work resides is also heavily emphasized with a broad color palette and exaggerated colors. These works are similar in meaning but differ in the use of visual elements. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay My World and Yours is able to convey a sense of wonder and horror with its design of incredibly tall and slender humanoids. The main focus begins near the center of the lower half of this painting, where a large group of these beings sit together. This iconography used here means that these beings are our creators and have elaborately planned our plans in their image. The enormous statues of all sorts directly behind them lend themselves to being evidence of this with each statue prominently naked. The context surrounding the creation of this painting (discovery of the double helix) is also an important factor. The leading lines used by the exterior walls and rectangular floor in the center of the image draw the eye towards the center of the image where these statues reside. Above them, you can see rows of connected tables where these people reside in their free time conversing together. On the left side of the painting you see a large mass of these humanoids in what appears to be a cinema-like setting. On the screen is the lower half of a woman in a short skirt and heels. This section of the mausoleum represents our feelings of sexual desire and lust. The right parallel side shows the fighting and struggle for dominance in a similar environment. Both show some of our innate traits that are part of what makes us human. At the bottom of the painting the faces and body parts are scattered across a large surface of calm water. These are all the failed experiments that these beings tried to create. The cool colors used on these people and the soft texture of the water do a great job of making this scene feel eerie and otherworldly. Due to the immense size and scope of My World and Yours, it is on 2 canvases. The actual dimensions of the entire painting are 159 x 56 inches. In person, this towers over you and gives a huge sense of scale. Your eyes start from the bottom and are drawn with the main lines existing in a spiral upwards. The balance that exists with the twisting pipes and buildings on the side of the top canvas makes it symmetrical. The figurines above differ from the recurring theme of the tall and slender form of these humanoids. Especially the central figure is much larger than any other in the painting. The gold and bronze hue used is a complementary color to the purple hue used in the niches in which they are located. This prominently draws your eyes to them in the center of the canvas. The narrow vertical buildings on either side of these statues show a dark, futuristic world, topped by an enormous amount of smoke. Smoking takes youto 2 gold coins on opposite sides. These coins are incomplete and feature faces that could represent the blueprint for humanity. Grinding these coins against the large gear mechanism brings us into existence slides down the spiral chute. These slides are also shaped like a double helix which is a large part of the artist's inspiration for creating this work. The amount of hidden detail at work here is impressive. You can spot something new every time you look at the canvas and analyze how it works. It's clear that Irving intended to paint something that left a lot of room for interpretation. Likewise, The Garden of Earthly Delights contains a number of individual stories that take place within it. This piece was originally a triptych with iterations of heaven and hell at the ends. The central panel should represent the place in between (our world). While not a baroque piece, the meaning here is highly religious and attempts to show the consequences of a carefree life. In the first panel on the left you can see the creation of everything that exists. Adam and Eve are depicted with God beside them. His right hand is raised to try and show his power to the viewer while Eve's hand is in the other. Bosch tried to make this scene the one where God introduces Eve to Adam for the first time. The foreground and background contain other creations of God all interacting. However, Adam and Eve take center stage to demonstrate that this is the greatest thing God has been able to accomplish. Their majestic position atop the sloping hill gives them a monarchical feel. The open palette used in the background shows the purity and majesty of God's powers. Creatures from all over the world reside here, including a legendary unicorn. When you finish looking over the left panel, your eyes are drawn to the massive, crowded center panel. This idealizes a carefree life without repercussions. In this portrait you can see all kinds of human practices that give us pure joy and happiness. It is a representation of God's greatest creation interacting with all of His other creations in this diffuse landscape. Bosch's use of depth in this painting allows the viewer to gain a realistic perception of all the figures in the painting. A recurring shape in this painting is the circle. The watering hole in the center of the painting is surrounded by a large circle of round humans above an assortment of animals. Through the painting you can see a large amount of sphere-shaped objects that are used by humans. This shape has represented life and eternity in many cultures around the world. In this context it probably represents the liveliness and recurring and constant forces that always occur in life. All humans in this image are shown naked to show God's greatest creation in all its purity. Combining this with the beautiful and vibrant landscape in the background gives us a great manifestation of its power. While in the middle shot you can see humans engaging in many actions that could be discouraged, in the right and final shot you see the consequences. Bosch's vision of what hell looks like is illustrated here. This panel is illustrated in dark colors to give a sense of desperation and desolation. Depicted here are horrific images that would frighten almost anyone who saw these types of images. The man with trunks for arms serves as the focal point of this work. These 3 images come together to show a strong message that our earth is at the center of these 2 places. Please note: this is just an example. Get one now.