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. In contrast to the more common representation of the Fall of Adam and Eve, this particular image depicts a close-up of the bottom half of the left wing in which the Creator, in the form of Christ, joins Adam and Eve together in marriage. Yet, the surrounding animals disrupt the quite tranquility to be expected in this idyllic setting, as seen in the cat carrying off a mouse, a toad-bird swallowing its neighbor, etc. 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.