Temptation of St. Anthony, outer wings of the triptych – The Taking of Christ Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)

The image depicts a scene of brutal chaos and violence, set against a dark, ominous sky with a crescent moon. In the upper center, a crowd of people, some armed with spears and swords, are violently subduing a kneeling figure dressed in white. This figure is being dragged or forced down, with several individuals aggressively surrounding and assaulting them. To the left, a lone figure in a similar white robe stands with their back to us, appearing to observe the scene with anguish or despair.
Further down in the foreground, two figures are engaged in a struggle. One, an older person, is forcefully grabbing and possibly striking another individual who is cowering or trying to escape. The ground below is littered with symbolic objects: an open book, a bird, a spiked chain with a ball, a tiny skeleton, and a small treasure chest. In the background, a hill looms, and further into the distance, a few structures and trees are visible under the oppressive sky.
The subtext is clearly religious and allegorical, portraying the arrest of Christ. The central figure being subdued is Jesus, surrounded by his captors. The lone figure on the left is likely an apostle, perhaps Peter, witnessing the event with sorrow. The struggle in the foreground could represent the internal turmoil and temptations faced during such a profound moment, or the resistance of humanity against divine justice or sacrifice. The symbolic objects scattered on the ground are rich with meaning: the book might symbolize divine law or scripture, the spiked chain and ball instruments of torture or temptation, the bird perhaps a symbol of the soul or darkness, the skeleton mortality, and the treasure chest the worldly temptations that are dwarfed by the spiritual drama unfolding. The overall mood is one of profound human cruelty and divine suffering, set against a backdrop that amplifies the sense of dread and foreboding.