Friday 17 February 2012

The devil and all his hellish brood...

It is said that the Devil comes in many guises. It's certainly true that he's referred to by many names: the Antichrist, the Beast, Lord of the Flies, Lucifer, Prince of Darkness, Satan, His Satanic Majesty and of course 666 - the Name of the Beast.

Despite all these lurid names and others, the depictions of Satan that send a shiver up this atheist's spine are those dreamt up by Hieronymus Bosch, the 15th Century Dutch painter. He seems to have had a particular talent for representing the Devil and his hellish brood.

His painting The Garden of Earthly Delights, housed in the Prado in Madrid, sets out what you can expect from Old Nick if you choose the wrong path. I remember being quite speechless when I stood before it in the Prado. I've always been a fan of Bosch and this is one my favorite paintings.

The painting is a triptych with the left panel representing paradise, the right panel representing hell and the centre panel being this world; a garden of earthly delights. This world is a place of erotic temptation and we all know where that will lead.

Hell is a topsy-turvy world populated by giant hybrid creatures that torment sinners for the liberties they've enjoyed. In hell, Satan and his forces are truly hellish.
Today's run at 18:15
Distance4.01 kmTime21:13
Pace5:17 min/kmCadence81 spm
Comments: Cloudy.

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