Who was Philip II of Spain?
Philip II of Spain was born May 21, 1527 in Valladolid, Spain, and was the son of Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and Isabella of Portugal. He came to power in 1556 and reigned until his death on September 13, 1581. He was also a major patron and collector of the arts and Hieronymus Bosch was one of the artists that Philip II collected. It is due to him that the Prado in Madrid and the nearby El Escorial have works by Bosch in their galleries today. Why is Hieronymous Bosch Unique? Hieronymus Bosch is one of the most unique artists of the Northern Renaissance mainly due to his fantastical creations that often feature humans interacting with animals and hybrid creatures among strange and unusual landscapes and architectural creations. The Web Gallery of Art is an excellent tool to see the works of Bosch and to look over the paintings carefully, since he commonly fills the canvas with many little scenes and interactions between figures that are easy to overlook. Philip II’s Appreciati
