The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things – Sloth (workshop or follower) Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)

This painting, Sloth from The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things, depicts a scene of indolence and disarray.

In the foreground, a person is slumped in a wooden chair, seemingly asleep or very lethargic. They are dressed in a green robe, and a head covering drapes over their face, obscuring their features. A small bag hangs from their belt, and a book lies open on a low wooden surface beside them. The overall posture and setting suggest a lack of engagement and activity.

To the left, a robed figure, dressed in black with a veil, stands holding a rosary. This figure appears to be a nun or religious woman, possibly trying to rouse the slothful individual or offering prayer. She holds a small book in her other hand. The contrast between the active, perhaps scolding, nun and the passive figure in the chair highlights the theme of sloth.

The background offers glimpses of both interior and exterior elements. Behind the nun, a pastoral landscape with trees and a distant figure is visible through an arched opening. Indoors, a fireplace with a struggling fire is a focal point, with tools for tending it nearby. Above the fireplace, a candle flickers in a sconce, providing a meager light source. A window with diamond-shaped panes lets in some light, and various objects, including a jug, are placed on a ledge.

The subtexts of the painting are powerfully symbolic of the deadly sin of sloth (accidia):

• Lethargy and Inertia: The central figures slumped posture, sleeping attire, and overall stillness are direct representations of sloth.
• Lack of Spiritual Engagement: The neglected rosary held by the nun, and the contrast with the religious figures presence, suggest a lack of spiritual diligence and prayer, which are antidotes to sloth. The open, unread book also implies a failure to engage with knowledge or scripture.
• Messiness and Neglect: The setting, though not overtly filthy, hints at a lack of meticulous care. The sleeping cat, curled up by the hearth, might represent a passive comfort that contributes to the slothful state.
• Fading Light and Warmth: The flickering candle and the struggling fire could symbolize the dying embers of spiritual life due to sloth, or the limited warmth and light that sloth brings to a persons life.
• The Nun as Conscience or Warning: The religious figure serves as a moral reminder, a potential catalyst for change, or a representation of the diligent spiritual life that the slothful individual is neglecting.

The word Accidia is written below the figures, explicitly naming the sin being depicted. The painting serves as a moralistic allegory, warning viewers against the spiritual and earthly consequences of succumbing to sloth.