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Andre Breton dubbed Bosch as forerunner to Surrealism and is quoted as saying Bosch’s work was “a strange marriage of fideism and revolt.” Salvidor Dali who was particularly a fan of Bosch's work may have even taken elements out of the left panel of this triptych - "The Garden of Earthly Delights" - to influence his painting of "The Great Masturbator."

Proto-Surrealism

Proto-Surrealism, also referred to as Surrealism avant la lettre, is a study of various forms of art, literature, and numerous other mediums which correspond, reference, and or share similarities to the early 20th century art movement known as Surrealism. A topic of controversy, many have debated whether one can include the word surrealism to define these bodies of work, instead opting to use the term Fantastique or Fantastic Art.

Defining Proto-Surrealism

In order to define proto-surrealism, one first has to understand surrealism, an art movement that started in the early 20th century. Andre Beton is known as one of the core founders of the Surrealist movement writing two manifestos that laid out the framework for defining surrealism. Many art critics and historians of today tend to look at elements of surrealist work that lead one to define work as being surrealist. These elements include: automatism and a spirit of spontaneity, hyper realistic dreamlike scenes, use of psychology and mythology, a focus on dreams, psychoanalysis, fantastic imagery, a break from imagery, illogical juxtapositions, distorted figures, and personal iconography. Proto-surrealism doesn’t look to strictly define work under Breton’s strict surrealist guidelines, but rather highlight and recognize work that utilizes elements of surrealism and/or helped to influence artists during the era of surrealism.

15th – 17th century art

During the late renaissance and baroque era there was a prevalence of art work and imagery created that has shared aspects of surrealist elements included within them. Two famous artists who are even credited by modern surrealists for influencing and helping start the surrealist movement include: Heironymous Bosch and Giuseppe Arcimboldo.

Hieronymous Bosch

The surrealist imagery used in much of Bosch's work, lead some historians to attribute him to be the grandfather of the surrealist art movement.

“Ever since research on Hieronymus Bosch began, his paintings have captivated the imagination, exerting a fascination that has spawned an insatiable demand for ever new interpretations, none of them quite satisfactory.” - Hans Belting, German Art Historian

“Bosch scholarship is fuelled time and again by a sense of some breach of taboo. We cannot help but be fascinated by his psychological and sociological realism.” - Hans Belting, German Art Historian

“...Bosch was a member of a secret cult of sexpot heretics called The Brethren of the Free Spirit. In this interpretation, the central panel of the Garden doesn’t show a fallen and sinful world, but the sect enjoying glorious tantric delights in a state-of-nature cornucopia of free love.” - Wilhelm Fraenger

“ ‘60s philosopher Norman O. Brown, a sex therapist who connected Freud’s anal eroticism theories to Martin Luther’s doctrine of salvation by faith alone, “cited Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights as an illustration of his own theories put into practice.”

"The Catholic Church was reasserting itself, and it wanted to emphasize the church and salvation and saints, which was not exactly what Bosch focused on,” - Larry Silver, a professor of art history at the University of Pennsylvania

Andre Breton dubbed Bosch as forerunner to Surrealism and is quoted as saying Bosch’s work was “a strange marriage of fideism and revolt... the singer of the unconscious", and his oeuvre was "the example of automatic writing".

Giuseppe Arcimboldo

"Displacement and surprise," Sigmund Freud argued, "are key elements in serious jokes: Put something somewhere we don’t expect to find it and you raise provocative and amusing questions."

Arcimboldo's composite portraits utilize the surrealist element of illogical juxtapositions and a break from rationality.

Others

Pieter Huys - Temptation of St. Anthony

Jamnitzer: Etching from Perspective Corporum Regularium

Giovanni Bracelli: Bizarre di Varie Figure

Terminology Debate

How does one define Surrealism?

Can you label certain “fantastique” art as surrealist if the artist didn’t study Freudian theory?

If one agrees that certain fantastique art is to be considered surrealism, where is the line drawn?

Is all surrealism fantastique work? Or is all fantastique work surrealism? Or is there an overlap?

If there is an overlap how does one define that overlap area?

Are Proto-Surrealists, artists who surrealists draw inspiration from?

Does one have to study Freud’s psychoanalysis and utilize his studies in one’s work in order to be considered a surrealist?

Does the artists define his work as Surrealism or does the viewer?

Who judges what is Surrealism and what is not?

Is that the viewers choice or that of the art critic?