The Garden of Earthly Delights

From Freepedia

The Garden of Earthly Delights is a triptych by Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Painted circa 1504, The Garden of Earthly Delights is perhaps his best-known work. It depicts the creation of Earth and the infiltration of sin into mankind. It is currently hanging in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.

The exterior (shutters)

The left panel: The Earthly Paradise (Garden of Eden)

The centre panel: Garden of Earthly Delights (Ecclesia's Paradise)

The right panel: Hell

When closed, the shutters depict an image of the earth as a flat disc within a sphere with the land floating upon a sea. Although the earth is bright from sunglight slipping through receding storm clouds, strange organic and even obscene forms are seen rising from the ground. A small representation of God the Father appears enthroned in the outer firmament at the upper left corner. At the top of the panels is a quote from Psalm 33:9 of the Bible: "For he spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Some critics have taken the verse to imply that the scene is one from creation, possibly at the receding waters of the Flood during the days of Noah. The interior triptych is thus interpreted to represent the days of sexual fornification prior to the flood. Other critics have supposed that the outer shutters represent a metaphor for the last days and not a specific moment in Biblical history. It is argued that there is no ark or human and animal corpses present on the outer shutters, and that it is therefore unlikely that it could be representing the specific Flood of Noah. Yet another interpretation describes the picture as depicting the third day of the creation of Earth.

The shutters open to reveal the three-panelled triptych. The leftmost panel features the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Knowledge, and God, presenting Eve to Adam. The centre panel details the descent of humanity into sin, featuring giant birds, abundant fruit, and (many) people frolicking nude. Finally, the rightmost panel illustrates Hell. People are treated to various nightmarish torments including being eaten by a giant bird and defecating coins. The seven deadly sins are featured prominently throughout.

The Garden of Earthly Delights is an oil painting on wood panels. The centre panel measures 220 by 195 cm, and the wings measure 220 by 95 cm. Although the triptych format was standard for church altarpieces at the time, it is likely that The Garden of Earthly Delights was produced for the private enjoyment of a noble family.

Reference: Sicut in utrem aquas maris: Jerome Bosch's Prolegomenon to the Garden of Earthly Delights Charles Dempsey. MLN: Studia Humaniatis: Essays in Honor of Salvatore Camporeale Baltimore:Jan 2004. Vol. 119, Iss. 1, p. S247-S270 (24 pp.)

Notes and detail from the Hell panel

• The face staring out from under the dish holding the pink bagpipes is said to be a portrait of Bosch himself.
• The woman near the bottom, under the bird's chair, in the clutches of a monster, staring into a mirror (which is also the rear end of some creature), is guilty of the deadly sin of pride (vanity).
• The person defecating coins into the pit under the bird's chair is guilty of the deadly sin of avarice.
• The man nearby, vomiting into the same pit, is guilty of the deadly sin of gluttony.