Bosch's 'Death and the Miser' Analyzed at National Gallery of Art

Hieronymus Bosch's c. 1485–1490 painting 'Death and the Miser,' housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, depicts a dying miser caught between salvation and damnation. The oil-on-panel work (93 × 31 cm) features Death as a skeletal figure with an arrow, an angel pointing to a crucifix, and six demons tempting the miser. A monkey-like demon holds a fire brazier symbolizing hell, while a fish-faced demon offers a money sack. A strongbox contains a rat-like demon with gold coins, and a bat-like demon holds a document possibly representing indulgences or moneylending. The foreground includes a humanoid demon with angelic wings and scattered armor. Bosch, born in 's-Hertogenbosch (c. 1450–1516), signed works as 'Bosch' after his hometown. Only seven signed works exist, with 30 attributed. The painting likely formed the left wing of a triptych altarpiece, commissioned by secular intellectuals or religious institutions.