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How to Read Paintings: Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things by Hieronymus Bosch
Deciphering the moral wheels of Bosch’s extraordinary image
This remarkable object is thought to have been created by the Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch. It is in fact a tabletop, and is nothing short of an illustrated encyclopaedia that depicts the Seven Deadly Sins across each of its segments.
The history of the Seven Deadly Sins dates back to around the 4th century, when a Christian monk named Evagrius Ponticus wrote down what’s known as the “eight evil thoughts”: gluttony, lust, avarice, anger, sloth, sadness, vainglory and pride. Over time, these were distilled down to the famous seven that would become fundamental to Catholic confessional practices.
At the centre of the image is a large circle, which is thought to represent the Eye of Providence (or the all-seeing eye of God). It is literally an eye. From the pupil, Christ is seen emerging from his tomb. The inscription below warns of the omnipresent nature of God — hence the eye — and why we should all be mindful of our behaviour. It reads: “Beware, Beware, The Lord Sees”.
