Hieronymus Bosch, a painter from the Netherlands who is best known for his paintings of fantastical figures and detailed landscapes, did a triptych that is quite famous, known as 'The Garden of Earthly Delights", painted somewhere between 1490 and 1510. This is that very triptych, but it is closed--open the two panels and the famous painting beneath is revealed. I like this view, though, thought to represent the earth on the third day of creation, after the creation of light and dark and plant life, but before animals and man was added to the mix. It was traditional at the time to depict creation as occurring in a sphere that was held by God, but I like the look of earth through Bosch's eyes, knowing what lies underneath is so much more colorful and fantasy laden. Too bad that when you see it in the Prado in Madrid, you see only the open panel.
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