Jheronimus Bosch, Conservation and Restoration

From Former Glory to Changing Appearances (Volume 1: Text, Volume 2: Images)

By (author) Luuk Hoogstede

Book cover: Jheronimus Bosch, Conservation and Restoration

Extent: 312, 312 pages

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Subjects: Art & Art History, Early Modern & Renaissance Studies

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(May 2025)

ISBN: 9782503618685

8.62 x 10.98 inches

Price: $188.00

In stock

Pictures change over time, often dramatically. This book unravels this phenomena for Jheronimus Bosch.


The old master paintings we see today do not correspond to what the artist saw. Pictures change over time, often dramatically. This book unravels this phenomena for Jheronimus Bosch. It provides fundamentally new insights into the making of his paintings and into what has changed since then, which has significant consequences for their interpretation. This publication also compares how conservators deal with altered appearances. Strikingly, conservators determine how a painting can be seen and interpreted, by removing old ambiguities and by uncovering and unifying original elements. Even treatment of the reverse, the panel support, shows to impact the painted side. Contrary to common belief however, conservators do not restore pictures to their former glory. What does this mean for Bosch’s paintings?

  • By (author) Luuk Hoogstede