Scene
The painting shows a dying man in a narrow, vaulted bedroom while a skeletal figure of Death enters with an arrow. An angel kneels by the bed pointing toward a crucifix, as demons swarm the room offering money and documents.
Death and the Miser
Hieronymus Bosch
1480
Figures
The central figure appears twice: as a younger man handling money and as an emaciated dying man. A skeletal Death, a guiding angel, and multiple grotesque demons surround him.
Symbolism
Discarded armor and weapons suggest the futility of worldly power, while a bag of gold and a sealed paper represent greed and corrupt dealings. A ray of light from a crucifix contrasts with a hellish lantern to show a choice between salvation and damnation.
Craft
Bosch uses oil on wood panel with layered glazes to create contrasting light sources, balancing a divine ray against a hellish glow.
Impact
The work is valued as a key document of late medieval attitudes toward death and sin, linking traditional didactic imagery with Bosch’s imaginative style.
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