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 the lower half of the right wing. Bosch’s horrible visualization of hell turns the vices and sinful pleasures of mankind, found in the central panel, into nightmarish punishment, as seen in the threatening musical instruments. Gone is the luscious, pleasure-filled garden; it is now replaced by darkness, freezing temperatures and violence. 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.