“Ascent of the Blessed” is a religious painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hieronymus Bosch, created between 1500 and 1504. The medium of the artwork is oil on panel, and it measures 86.5 cm by 39.5 cm. The painting is part of the series “Visions of the Hereafter” and can be found in the Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa in Venice, Italy.
The painting depicts a mystical vision of the ascent of the souls of the blessed into heaven. At the center of the artwork is a circular tunnel-like formation painted in light shades, representing a tunnel of light that leads to the divine. The blessed souls are shown as naked figures, being guided upwards by angels with their wings spread, some are in attitudes of praise or awe, as they approach an intensely bright light, symbolizing the presence of the divine. The light at the end of the tunnel is radiant, suggesting the heavenly realm and the overwhelming experience of the divine encounter. The dark background contrasts with the brightness of the tunnel and the divine light, emphasizing the transition from earthly darkness to the enlightenment and joy of heaven. Bosch’s work is renowned for its intricate detail and the conveyed sense of movement and spiritual transcendence.
