This enigmatic triptych displaying a visionary world of bright colors and fantastical creatures has long puzzled scholars. The three panels seem to represent a progression through Christian history: from innocence in the Garden of Eden in the left wing, to worldly and amorous pursuits found in the days of Noah depicted in the center, ending with a scene of Bosch’s own day represented as a hellish nightmare. Bosch’s mysterious personal symbolism is manifested in the bizarre settings, activities and figures, and makes this a unique representation of Paradise, Mortality and Hell. This particular image depicts a close-up of the top half of the left wing in which Bosch includes some strange ominous elements in this usually idyllic, peaceful setting. The lake in the center contains an elaborate fountain of life from which the four rives of Paradise surge forth. The grouping of various animals, both realistic and imaginary, are interspersed with forebodings of death, as seen in the boar attacking a lizard, a lion feeding on a gazelle, etc. Bosch seems to present an overripe Eden on the eve of the Fall. Some have interpreted Garden of Earthly Delights, with its triptych format, as meant for a religious function and probably a satirical warning against immoral indulgence; however, recent evidence has suggested that it was commissioned by a secular member of the aristocracy and was most likely intended as a novel showpiece to arouse intellectual discussion among guests in the palace of Hendrick III of Nassau.