When closed the triptych displays the Earth sky and sea in monochromatic shades of grey (Grisaille.)
The three panels represent the Garden of Eden, Earthly pleasures and hell. Because of the religious theme, many think the closed panels is the third day of the creation of Earth. Only the plants have been created, not yet man, or animals.
There is also an introduction unscripted from Colossians 1:16 / 1:17: “He himself said it, and all was done” and “He himself ordered it and all was created.
Because of the bare landscape, it has also been linked to the great flood (which cleansed the world) in the time of Noah.
This sets up the first scene in the Triptych, the Garden of Eden.
On the left panel which displays the Garden of Eden, we find God, Adam and Eve in the foreground whom are both naked, except god. The scene displays a complete utopia. The scene in which has been painted is where God has just created Eve, and is introducing her to Adam.
Although it is not all pure. In the centre is a crab with a hole in the centre of it containing part of hell, to show that not everything in the world is good and pure. Even in the Garden of Eden.
In the centre of the triptych is the garden of Earthly delights. The scene is very alive, filled with colour, similar to the Garden of Eden, huge birds flying in the skies, and other animals living in piece with the humans. The humans are often displaying sexual acts in a hidden way. The strawberries seen in the lower foreground of the painting are to represent human flesh. All the fruit displayed could be because of their short lifespan and the humans exploiting their actions without time to think about them. In other worlds the sin of Lust is being portrayed through the fruit and flowers.
The painting of hell is quite surreal and a completely different tone from the rest of the production. The colours used are cool tones but also warm used to create a busy, disturbing, and corrupt world. There is so much to comment on in hell, beginning with the two ears pierced side by side with a knife through the middle. From first glance the obvious symbol for this creation can come across as a penis. Perhaps the moral in this section is that it can be used as a weapon and can end up being placed in hell if used with bad intentions.
Just above the centre is a cracked egg shell with the leg of a pig turning into a wooden stump. The egg shell could represent the cracking of sinners and the stump stating that they are now routed there in hell. Upon every creation Bosch has made and placed in hell, another creation is linking off from it, a suspicious cycle it seems where they are all connected.
The Hell Bosch has created is extremely unearth like and out of the ordinary, where it is often thought that fire and punishment is performed. Punishment is being performed but in a further dark way, further than even medieval methods. There is also not much fire seen.
Bosch never dated his pieces so it’s difficult to tell what time the piece was actually created. It has been estimated to be completed between 1510 and 1515, and started near 1490. The size of the Triptych is quite big and although there is lots of detail, thought and creativity put into it; 20-25 years to complete, is a long time. Bosch may have had other projects as well as this one.
Bosch had completed 2 other pieces, both Triptychs and with the same religious message starting in the Garden of Eden, and eventually ending with hell. All three of the compositions had shutters all made from oak wood. The Haywain Triptych was completed in 1516, and The Last Judgement was created after 1482.
At first you could assume that all three are the same story and piece just edited slightly. But after examining and researching further, the last judgement’s Garden of Eden it shows Eve being banished from paradise, after the eating of the apple. Which is the end of the story of Eden, whereas in the Garden of Earthly Delights Eden, it is only the beginning.
The last panel staying the same, hell.
This time the centre panel shows the last judgement which was a popular medieval subject. Although created before TGOED, it shows the aftermath of performing the 7 deadly sins displayed in TGOED.
Bosch’s palette was limited and used pigments such as azurite, lead-tin yellow, vermillion and ochres.
The colours are harmonious and complement each other. The light and natural pigments in the left and right panel are similar, but the left panel seems to be more ‘perfect.’ The greens and yellows blend into one another more fluently than in the centre. With Hell, the tones are warmer in the foreground and colder towards the top. This creates a depth effect, that there is more than the eye can see and frightens the viewing as Humans often like to be in control and knowing of what is happening. Especially as the colours are cold and unwelcoming.
Bosch had some ruff sketches drawn, mostly hell. I couldn't understand if they were intended for The Garden Of Earthly Delights, as they weren't exactly connected with any details in the painting other than this one. As you can see Bosch has altered his ideas after he had drawn this.
In his sketch it comes across more calming and less aggressive as there are innocent animals happily frolicking around the enriched grass. There seems to be no sight of any torture. Balanced on top of the man's head was originally a pot containing a ladder holding onto a man reaching for a tree branch. Bosch then had different ideas and then decided to alter this and add a strange looking onion shape object and an enslaved species.
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