The Conjurer

A trick at the front, a theft behind

A conjurer in a tall black hat performs the cups-and-balls trick at a table. A woman leans over to look, completely absorbed. Behind her, a man with spectacles looks up innocently while he steals her purse.

The composition goes back to Hieronymus Bosch. The best-known version, painted by Bosch’s workshop or a follower around 1502, belongs to the Musée municipal in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris.

The conjurer

The conjurer holds up a small ball between his fingers. A basket hangs from his belt, and in it sits an owl, often a symbol of deceit or folly in Bosch’s world.

Cups and balls

On the table lie cups, small balls and a wand. A boy peers over the table edge, watching closely.

The woman who falls for it

The woman bends forward so far that she seems about to fall over. Some interpreters note a frog at her mouth, as if she were swallowing the conjurer’s lies.

Behind her, the thief takes her purse while staring at the sky. The message is clear: those who believe anything are easily robbed.

A costumed dog

At the conjurer’s feet sits a small dog dressed in a hood, the kind of trained animal a travelling showman might have used.

A satire on gullibility

The Conjurer is a satire about people who are easily fooled. The woman bends over the table, so absorbed in the trick that she does not notice the thief stealing her purse. Others in the crowd watch with blank faces. Bosch uses humour to show how foolishness makes people vulnerable to deception.

In the Middle Ages, conjurers and travelling entertainers were viewed with suspicion. They were associated with trickery and the devil.

A frog in the mouth

A small frog appears at the woman’s mouth, as if she has swallowed it or is about to spit it out. This may refer to a common trick where conjurers pretended to make people produce frogs. It may also suggest that she has swallowed a lie. The detail adds to the comedy and the moral.

The owl and the dog

An owl peeks out of the conjurer’s basket. In Bosch’s art, the owl often symbolises folly or evil. The small dog in a jester’s hat at the conjurer’s feet may also suggest foolishness. These details reinforce the painting’s warning.

Original or copy?

The painting in Saint-Germain-en-Laye is generally considered a copy, made by Bosch’s workshop or a follower, after a lost original. Several versions and an engraving are known, showing that the composition was popular. It still gives a clear idea of Bosch’s inventive humour.

Where to see it

The Conjurer belongs to the municipal museum of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris. Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. You can also read about Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights.

Questions about The Conjurer

Did Bosch paint it?

The design goes back to Bosch. This version is attributed to his workshop or a follower.

Where is it?

Musée municipal, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France.

What is the moral?

Gullible people are easily deceived and robbed.

How large is it?

About 53 × 65 centimetres, oil on panel.

Is it by Bosch himself?

It is usually considered a workshop copy after a lost original.

Why is there a frog?

It may refer to a conjuring trick, or to the woman swallowing a lie.

Sources and image credit

• Wikimedia Commons: The Conjurer (Saint-Germain-en-Laye)

Public-domain reproduction of The Conjurer, via Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same historical painting; no reconstruction or upscaling.