The devil in paradise? Interpreting the left panel of Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2026-01-46-61
Abstract
The article deals with the interpretation of Hieronymus Bosch’s most enigmatic triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights (c. 1490–1505), with particular emphasis on its left panel. It depicts Eden and the moment when the first man gazes upon the first woman. The author shows how the iconography of the scene differs from the conventions of the time, and how the Dutch artist introduces the theme of evil permeating nature and humanity without depicting either the Fall of the angels or the Temptation of Adam and Eve. Special attention is given to the yellow anthropomorphic rock, which probably symbolizes the diabolic presence in the earthly paradise. To elucidate such ambiguous motif, the study engages with the tradition of anthropomorphic landscapes that flourished in the sixteenth century and draws upon Michel Weemans’s recent theoretical framework. The article concludes by tracing visual correspondences between paradise and hell – such as the Fountain of Life and the Tree-Man, or the rock-face and the lantern with the knife etc. The author shows how a master from Hertogenbosch transforms the familiar narratives and iconographic motifs of his time, playing with the viewer’s recognition or non-recognition.
About the Author
M. R. Maizuls
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Mikhail R. Maizuls, Cand. of Sci. (History)
6-6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047
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Review
For citations:
Maizuls M.R. The devil in paradise? Interpreting the left panel of Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2026;1(1):46-61. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2026-01-46-61
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