The artwork, “Death and the Miser (detail),” created by Hieronymus Bosch between circa 1494 and circa 1516, belongs to the Northern Renaissance art movement and falls under the religious painting genre. This piece is part of the series “Death and the Miser” and is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., United States.
In this detailed segment of the artwork, the scene is meticulously rendered with rich colors and expressive figures, characteristic of Bosch’s distinctive style. The painting depicts a bedridden figure, presumably the miser, being visited by ominous, otherworldly beings. One creature, with a grim and skeletal appearance, emerges from beneath the bed’s crimson drapery, clutching a satchel, possibly symbolizing the miser’s hoarded wealth or personal sins. Another figure, draped in flowing, saintly robes, points and gestures, perhaps guiding the soul of the dying man. The morose confrontation between life and death is placed under dramatically heavy, red curtains, which enhance the intensity and gravity of the scene. This visual narrative not only personifies the mortal struggle with avarice but also reflects the Northern Renaissance’s deep engagement with moral and spiritual allegories.
