Shop art print and framed art The Garden of Earthly Delights (right panel) by Jérôme Bosch

The Garden of Delights: an enigmatic triptych

The Garden of Delights, a triptych by Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch housed in Madrid's Musée du Prado, is divided into three panels with enigmatic illustrations. The left panel depicts the Earthly Paradise, the central panel depicts a lush garden populated by human figures and fantastical creatures, and the right panel illustrates Hell. This monumental oil painting on oak wood, 220 cm high and 389 cm wide when open, is characteristic of the technique of the Flemish Primitives.

A historical context and the mysterious origins of the The Garden of Delights

The Garden of Delights was painted between 1490 and 1500, at a time of great change in Europe. During this period, the Renaissance was in full swing in Italy, while the Netherlands enjoyed a period of economic and cultural prosperity. Humanism was gaining ground, challenging traditional religious dogmas, but the fear of the end of the world and the Last Judgment nevertheless remained very much in the forefront of people's minds.

The painting's origins remain shrouded in mystery, with the work's commissioner not known with certainty, although it was probably a member of the high nobility, perhaps Henri III de Nassau-Bréda. The work is first mentioned in 1517 in the inventory of the Nassau palace in Brussels, then was confiscated by the Duke of Alba in 1568 and taken to Spain, where it has remained to this day.

An abundance of detail and strange scenes in The Garden of Delights

The closed triptych depicts the creation of the world, enclosed in a transparent sphere, while once open, the painting reveals an explosion of color and form. The left panel shows a peaceful paradise with Adam and Eve, surrounded by exotic animals and lush plants, while the right panel plunges the viewer into a nightmarish hell populated by demons, monsters and instruments of torture. The central panel, linking the two outer sections, is the most striking: it features a multitude of naked figures engaged in strange, lascivious activities. We see gigantic fruits, fantastical birds, hybrid creatures and improbable architectural structures.

The Garden of Delights: Humanity in the face of sin and temptation

Although murky on first reading, the central subject of The Garden of Delights turns out to be humanity in the face of sin and temptation. The panel on the left represents the original state of innocence, before the fall, while the central panel illustrates the debauchery and corruption of mankind, as it abandons itself to sensual pleasures and forgets its religious duties. The panel on the right shows the terrible consequences of sin and the eternal damnation that awaits sinners.

Jérôme Bosch uses rich, complex imagery to illustrate this theme. The fruits, flowers and animals in the central panel symbolize earthly temptations, while hybrid creatures and monsters represent human vices and passions. Hell's instruments of torture evoke suffering and punishment.

The Garden of Delights: A timeless work and a major influence

With its singular imagery, The Garden of Delights is one of the most famous and enigmatic works in art history. It has fascinated and intrigued generations of viewers, who have sought to decipher its complex symbolism and moral message. The work has thus had a considerable influence on Western art, notably on the surrealist painters of the 20th century.

Little is known about the painting's impact on Bosch's own life. Although produced in the early part of his career, the commissioner being of high lineage emphasizes that Jheronimus Bosch was already renowned for his painting. It is likely, however, that the work contributed to his fame, but it is still difficult to say today whether it had a direct impact on his career.

This artwork is a painting from the renaissance period. It belongs to the flemish & northern renaissance style.

« The Garden of Earthly Delights (right panel) » is kept at Prado, Madrid, Spain.