The Garden of Earthly Delights, right wing – Hell Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)

The right wing of The Garden of Earthly Delights triptych, titled Hell, depicts a nightmarish landscape filled with torment, punishment, and grotesque fusions of human and animal forms. The imagery is dark and chaotic, dominated by fiery ruins, shadowy figures, and scenes of suffering.

What I see:

The painting presents a vast, dark panorama of hell. Structures resembling burning cities are visible in the background amid smoke and flames. In the foreground and middle ground, a multitude of figures, both human and monstrous, engage in various acts of torture and agony.

Key elements include:

• Musical Instruments of Torture: A giant harp is depicted with a figure being impaled on its strings, and another upside down within its soundbox. A similar distorted instrument, resembling a lute or viola da gamba, is also present with figures trapped inside. A large drum is also visible, being beaten by a creature with bird-like features, adding to the cacophony of hell.
• Monstrous Beings: A prominent figure with an ear and a knife for a nose pierces a figure with a quill. Another grotesque creature resembling a pink, bulbous bird with a beak and human-like legs is seen spewing figures into a pond. There are numerous hybrid creatures, demons and beast-like beings inflicting pain and suffering.
• Scenes of Torment: Figures are shown being devoured by animals, impaled, burned, drowned, and subjected to various forms of physical and psychological torture. Many are naked, emphasizing their vulnerability and helplessness.
• Surreal and Symbolic Objects: A giant, hollow egg-like structure, supported by twisted legs, contains depictions of revelers and a fireplace. A massive scale, out of balance, with a prominent penis projecting from it, appears to be weighing souls or sins, suggesting divine judgment.
• The Prince of Hell: In the lower right quadrant, a large, monstrous figure, often interpreted as the Prince of Hell or a demon ruler, sits on a throne-like structure. This figure has a birds head and legs, human torso, and is excreting figures into a chamber pot. Near him, other demons continue their torments.
• Hellish Landscape: The overall environment is one of chaos and destruction. Fires rage, buildings crumble, and the sky is dark and ominous. The ground is littered with human bodies and the tools of their torture.

Subtexts:

This panel serves as a stark warning about the consequences of sin and the damnation that awaits those who indulge in the pleasures depicted in the central panel. The subtexts are rich and layered:

• Moral Condemnation: The painting is a powerful condemnation of worldly sins, particularly lust, gluttony, and vanity, which are implied to lead to eternal punishment. The detailed depictions of suffering are meant to shock and deter viewers from such transgressions.
• The Perversion of Pleasure: Many of the instruments of torture are derived from objects of pleasure or beauty, such as musical instruments. This suggests that even things that bring joy in life can become instruments of agony in hell when they have led to sin. It highlights the perversion of natural order and divine law.
• Justice and Divine Retribution: The presence of the scales and the overall structured yet chaotic nature of the punishments suggest a form of divine justice, albeit a terrifying one. Each sin is met with a fitting, often symbolic, torment.
• The Fragility of Existence: The numerous naked, vulnerable human figures emphasize the fleeting nature of human life and the ultimate helplessness of humanity in the face of divine wrath.
• The Nature of Evil: Boschs depiction of hell is not merely infernal fire but a realm of psychological torment and grotesque transformations. The hybrid creatures and surreal imagery suggest that evil is a chaotic, unnatural force that distorts and corrupts. The emphasis on individual suffering highlights the personal consequences of sin.
• Social Commentary: Some interpretations suggest that Bosch might be critiquing certain aspects of his society, such as corrupt clergy or immoral rulers, whom he might be implicitly portraying among the damned or the tormentors. The dice and cards scattered on the ground might refer to gambling and other vices.
• Auditory Torment: The musical instruments, meant for harmony, are used to create discord and pain, suggesting that even sensory pleasures can be twisted into sources of torment in hell, possibly alluding to the cacophony of screams and wails.

In essence, Hell is a vivid and disturbing visualization of the medieval Christian concept of damnation, serving as a potent reminder of the spiritual stakes involved in earthly choices.