The Triumph of Sin
 

Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (central panel - detail)
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid

Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (central panel - detail)
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid

Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (central panel - detail)
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid

Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (central panel - detail)
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid

Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights.
Couple in a Bubble (central panel - detail)
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid

Of all Bosch's large triptychs, the centre panel of this painting is most packed with incident and with symbolism, both mainly sexual. Much of the symbolism is still not understood despite the intensive work of many scholars over the last nearly 500 years. What has been discovered is often of such arcane reference that to explain it requires many words. Nevertheless, every detail provides exciting and interesting speculation. Some of the symbols that have been noted elsewhere can be seen here: the owl of knowledge and evil, rotting or exotic fruit, phallic fish, filthy rats. Of all the sins the most deadly is lust, and here we find it everywhere: in the foreplay in the bubble; in the man holding his genitals, a symbolic rotting raspberry between his legs; and in the birds, the reminders of flight, both to the heavens and in emotion.

Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (central panel - detail)
c. 1500
Museo del Prado, Madrid