Albrecht Dürer

Fall of Man (Adam and Eve)

1504

Here, classical imagery was used as Adam was made to look like the Greek Achilles. The textures were achieved by using a cross-hatching technique. Eve looks like a Venus, goddess of love. The parrot was a symbol of wisdom. It is an apple tree behind them but the leaves are fig leaves because those are associated with the sin of Adam and Eve. The rabbit fertility and the ox for Luke. Eve holding the apple or fruit and the snake (Devil) is present looking to eat the fruit. Balanced contraposto poses. Tension between cat and mouse to show tension between Adam and Eve during the fall of man moment.

Albrecht Dürer

Knight, Death, and the Devil

1513

A confident knight riding through a forest with his trusted retriver alongside him. To show that he is a Christian knight- a soldier of God. Armed with faith the knight is impervious to death who appears as a crowned decaying cadaver shaking an hourglass to show mortality and has snakes. Pathetic devil also follows him. Displays strength and is reminiscent of Donatellos equestrian statue. Different textures, fur, rocks, armor, skin, grass and trees. Details: armor and weapons, horse muscles, features of death and devil, rocks and foliage. 

Hans Holbein the Younger

The French Ambassadors

1533

Shown are two french men, one is a landowner while the other is a churchman. The two different globes show the two different men- one shoes the heavens and the other shows trade routes. By the churchman there is a lute with a broken string next to a hymnal showing that there was disharmony in the church (protestant reform). Hidden disfigured skull that could be seen with a convex mirror, skull meaning death and the sin of adam. A reminder of mortality. Hidden crucifix to remind viewers to ponder death and resurrection. The floor detail is the same as the Westminster abbey. Everything couldn't be understood if it werent for Christ. All the details to show the mens worldliness. 

Hieronymus Bosch

Garden of Earthly Delights

1505-1510

Closed  piece to show the third day of creation when the earth was formed, it shows the water receding. Could also be after the great flood. The owl in the center is a symbol for foolishness. The first panel shows adam and eve and God, there is killing and fighting and weirdness to show that all was not as it should've been in Eden. The center panel shows people cavorting around and being weird, lots of owls. The first panel is spring and the second is summer. Shows adam and eve looking out at their children. The 3rd panel is hell, shows it frozen and on fire. Has the devil eating people and they are remade from his excrament. Music before was a delight but now used as a torture device.

Quentin Massys

Money Changer and His Wife

1514

Shows a money changer and his wife, the wife idly flipping through a prayer book but both more interested in the money. There are men shown in a back room in idle chatter. The mirrors shown tend to show reality and accuracy. Candles burned out to show lack of inspiration. The client sitting and mirrow shows that a church is very far away. The slight mess back on the shelves to show that the woman isn't keeping up with all of her duties.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Netherlandish Proverbs

1559

Proverbs to show artists knack for details and clever imagery. More than  100 proverbs for audiences obsessions with proverbs. Man hitting his head is hardheaded, man biting pole is a hypocrite, man in blue cloak being led is being decieaved by wife in red. Crying over spilled milk, flase prohphet with beard, someone defacating on the world, someone trying to enter a globe to show trouble getting into the world, person shooting arrows at nothing is a fool who cant see past his nose.