Hieronymus Bosch «The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things» around 1500, Museo del Prado, Madrid

"The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things" is a painting that has traditionally been attributed to Hieronymus Bosch, completed around 1500 or later. Since 1898 its authenticity has been questioned several times. The painting is oil on wood panels and is presented in a series of circular images.

Four small circles, detailing the four last things — "Death of the Sinner", "Judgment", "Hell" and "Glory" — surround a larger circle in which the seven deadly sins are depicted: wrath at the bottom, then (proceeding clockwise) envy, greed, gluttony, sloth, extravagance (later replaced with lust), and pride, in scenes from life rather than in allegorical representations of the sins.

At the centre of the large circle, which is said to represent the eye of God, is a "pupil" in which Christ can be seen emerging from his tomb. Below this image is the Latin inscription Cave Cave Deus Videt ("Beware, Beware, God Sees").

Each scene in the painting depicts a different sin. In the Pride scene, a demon is shown holding a mirror in front of a woman. An enraged a man is about to kill a woman, symbolizing murder as an effect of Wrath.

The four small circles also have details. In Death of the Sinner, death is shown at the doorstep along with an angel and a demon while the priest says the sinner's last rites, In Glory, the saved are entering Heaven, with Jesus and the saints, at the gate of Heaven an Angel prevents a demon from ensnaring a woman. Saint Peter is shown as the gatekeeper. In Judgment, Christ is shown in glory while angels awake the dead, while in the Hell demons torment sinners according to their sins.

Image: Hieronymus Bosch «The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things» is licensed under Public Domain

References:

Bax, Dirk. Ontcijfering van Jeroen Bosch. Den Haag, 1949

Fischer, Stefan. "Hieronymus Bosch. The Complete Works", Cologne 2013.

Gibson, Walter. Hieronymus Bosch. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1973. ISBN 0-500-20134-X