The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins

            The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch was so original that it made me curious to the other works by Bosch. Knowing that I wanted my last art blog to be something special I found his Seven Deadly Sins piece to be just what I was looking for. I was surprised to learn that the seven deadly sins were not a biblical idea, although many sins were clearly defined in the bible the seven deadly were not established until later. The first list of terrible sins was made in ancient Greece by Evargrius of Pontus his list included eight sins in an order of increasing seriousness these were gluttony, lust, avarice (greed), sadness, anger, acedia (sloth), vainglory, and pride. Pope Gregory the Great then refined this list at the end of the sixth century combining vainglory and pride as well as acedia with sadness and adding envy. He listed them from most serious to least serious in the offending of love. This was later changed so that the seven deadly sins are no longer ranked.  

            Hieronymus Bosch was born in the middle of the 15^th century to a family of painters, whom it is assumed he learned to paint from. His paintings can all be tied to religious beliefs of the time and often had to do with the sins of mankind. The Garden of Earthly delights is undoubtedly his most famous work which was created later on in his painting career. He was a highly recognized artist of the time who unlike many of the time actually signed his paintings  His painting of the seven deadly sins is thought to have been created somewhere between 1485 and 1500, and is thought to be one of his first works.

              The Seven Deadly Sins is a painting much different from the majority of paintings back  then, as well as most paintings of today perhaps making it that much more alluring. Unlike the totality of painting the Seven Deadly Sins was designed in a way that it should be viewed from looking down on it. It was painted with oil on to wood panels and is often referred to as being a table top.  It is a series of five circles arranged with the largest circle in the middle of the four smaller ones. Along with a text at both the top center and the bottom center of the painting. The top text can be translated to mean "For they are a a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them."  The bottom text states that "O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end!" This text shows the fate he wishes upon those that see and understand his painting.The four small circles represent that the “last four things” which are death, last judgment, hell, and heaven. (6) Which I won’t go into detail on but can be discovered further at http://www.catholictradition.org/Classics/4last-things.htm. These four circles surround the large one which depicts the seven deadly sins surrounding the resurrected Jesus. The center of the largest circle is said to represent the pupil of God representing that he can see all, in fact at the bottom of what is believed to be the pupil is a script that translates to “Beware, Beware, God Sees.”

             The Last Four Things 

                                                                            Death

                                                                         Judgement

                                                                               Hell

                                                                            Heaven
                The four things are interesting to me for they show how death and the after life were viewed by early Christians. While many of us still worship Jesus today and brought up with the notion that if we don't sin we will go to heaven when we die paintings like these are few and far between. It is common for people to have their own views of life after death and if it is not expressed in art it can not be shared with other. I think more people should express it for it is an interesting thing.


                                                                  The Seven Deadly Sins

                                                                               Wrath
                                                  Punishable in hell by being dismembered alive

                                                                                  Greed
                                          Punishable in hell by being put in cauldrons of boiling oil

                                                                                  Envy
                                               Punishable in hell by being put in freezing water

                                                                                  Pride
                                               Punishable in hell by being broken on the wheel

                                                                             Gluttony
                                    Punishable in hell by being forced to eat rats toads and snakes

                                                                             Sloth
                                              Punishable in hell by being thrown in a snake pit

                                                                                Lust
                                         Punishable in hell by being smothered in fire and brimstone

                        This is an outstanding piece of artwork representing one of the main themes in life. How to live your life to get to heaven. I never would have guessed that the seven deadly sins had been outlined so long ago or that they held such serious meaning in religion. This painting outlines it wonderfully and I think that is why I am so drawn to it. Not only are the four things shown nicely but the way the seven sins outline the eye of God give it even more meaning than other pieces of art with the same theme. I feel this is another piece of art that would have made a great voicethread project. There is so much meaning that can be derived from it, it is almost overwhelming.