Detail from the “Hell” panel of Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. This scene of an infernal gambling den is filled with violence, anxiety, and fear, though the man at the bottom being stabbed by one of the demons looks strangely calm. On the demon’s back, a hand with one of the dice is impaled in a gesture of blessing. Above is a naked woman with her eyes closed or lowered, her candlestick and pitcher identifying her as a prostitute (Dutch prostitutes of that era used candles to entice passers-by), and an oversized symbol of chance/gambling on top of her head. Behind her a rabbit—usually the prey—has become a hunter and carries an eviscerated human form from a pole. A small corner of a vast scene of chaos, holding up a mirror to human beings and their demons. …At least that’s my humble attempt to summarize this detail of Bosch’s great triptych, which I scanned from Taschen’s humongous tome Hieronymus Bosch: The Complete Works. This summer, 2016, marks the 500-year anniversary of Bosch’s death.
used candles to entice passers-by
(Tries to picture this): “Hey gentlemen, I’ve got a candle – nudge nudge wink wink.”
Mooncustafer 