Hieronymus Bosch makes one hell of a homecoming

Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

HIERONYMUS Bosch died 500 years ago, his soul dispatched to parts unknown - perhaps oblivion, perhaps heavenly peace, perhaps a hellscape of his own invention. His reputation, however, resides in earthly paradise, with two blockbuster exhibitions this year, drawing tens of thousands to admire his slavering, fluttering, waddling abominations.

Only about 25 Bosch paintings and a score of drawings survive, scattered through collections around the world. That means both exhibitions were acts of extraordinary organisation, particularly for this charming Dutch city, where Bosch lived, worked and died, but where none of his art remained.