A delightful, indulgent, and inexplicable triptych, Hieronymus Bosch’s (c. 1450-1516) The Garden of Earthly Delights (1490-1510) is visually separated into three realms. The left and right panels are often understood through a Biblical lens as representing heaven and hell, yet the middle panel has been interpreted in myriad ways, as little is known of Bosch’s life. The busy, evocative, and sometimes disturbing center scene contains bodies, creatures, and scenery in a plethora of situations with themes of eroticism, spirituality, curiosity, and fantasy. These thematic tones make it unlikely that this was intended for a church or religious site, but likely commissioned by an external patron.

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