Who painted 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'?

Hieronymus Bosch painted The Garden of Earthly Delights. This extraordinary Early Netherlandish triptych was created sometime between about 1490 and 1510 and is now held by the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

The work consists of three painted panels that open to reveal a fantastical panorama. The left panel shows Paradise and the creation of Adam and Eve; the central panel teems with nude figures, animals, strange inventions, and imagined landscapes; the right panel presents a dark vision of Hell. When closed, the outer panels depict the world during the Third Day of Creation.

Bosch’s symbolism has inspired many interpretations. Some scholars see the central scene as a warning about temptation and sinful pleasure, while others emphasize its ambiguity and imaginative range. The painting was not originally titled The Garden of Earthly Delights; that modern name became standard later. It is also sometimes confused with works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, another famous Netherlandish artist, but the painting’s distinctive surreal imagery belongs to Bosch.