Abstract
The painting in the Louvre generally known as the Ship of Fools (Fig. 1), by Hieronymus Bosch, presents a moralizing satire. Almost all comment on the work has stressed this since Lafond1 in 1914 related the painting to Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff, first published in 1494 in Basel by Bergmann von Olpe. Many of its illustrations have been attributed to the young Durer.2 Other printings followed, authorized and unauthorized. In 1497 Jacob Locher translated the Narrenschiff into Latin, greatly aiding its spread to other countries. Less than a decade after its first appearance numerous vernacular versions that stemmed from Locher's translation came from the presses; for example, the Flemish version published by Marchand in Paris in 1500, and based on a French edition of 1498 by Josse Bade. Bosch could have known the original edition of 1494, considered by many a terminus post quern for the painting, as well as the Marchand Flemish version of 1500. Either 1494 or 1500 is a possible date for the Louvre panel...
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