The Haywain Triptych facts for kids

The Haywain Triptych is a famous panel painting by the artist Hieronymus Bosch. Today, you can see it in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. Experts believe it was painted around the year 1516. They figured this out by studying the wood panels it's painted on, using a method called dendrochronology (which looks at tree rings).

The middle part of the painting is quite large, about 135 centimeters (53 inches) tall and 200 centimeters (79 inches) wide. The two side panels, called "wings," are a bit taller and narrower, measuring 147 centimeters (58 inches) tall and 66 centimeters (26 inches) wide each. When the painting is closed, its outer panels show a scene known as The Wayfarer.

The Haywain Triptych's Journey Through Time

This amazing painting has a long history! In 1570, King Philip II of Spain bought it as part of a group of six artworks. Four years later, it was moved to a place called El Escorial.

Later, the painting was sold to a person known as the Marquis of Salamanca. Sadly, it was split into three separate paintings at this time. In 1848, the middle part was bought by Isabella II of Spain and taken to Aranjuez. The right part went back to El Escorial, and the left part ended up at the Prado Museum.

Luckily, in 1914, all three parts were finally put back together at the Prado Museum. There is also a copy of this painting that you can see at El Escorial.

The Haywain Triptych when it is closed.

What Does The Haywain Triptych Show?

This painting is a "triptych," meaning it has three panels that can be opened and closed. Each part tells a different part of a story.

The Outer Shutters: A Traveler's Tale

When the triptych is closed, you see the outer panels, or "shutters." Unlike many paintings from that time, Bosch used full, bright colors here instead of just shades of gray. These shutters show a single scene: a traveler, or "wayfarer."

Around the traveler, you can spot many small scenes. These include another traveler being robbed and a hanged man. The main traveler uses a stick to keep a dog away. Many people believe this traveler represents someone trying to live a good life, even though there are bad things happening all around them.

The Main Panels: A Story from Creation to Hell

When the triptych is open, it tells a big story, similar to Bosch's other famous work, The Garden of Earthly Delights.

The Left Panel: The Beginning of Everything

The left panel shows the very beginning of the world. At the top, you can see rebel angels being thrown out of Heaven. As they fall through the clouds, they turn into insects. Below this, God creates Eve from Adam's rib. Next, Adam and Eve meet the serpent and the forbidden tree, and the serpent offers them an apple. Finally, at the bottom, an angel makes Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden. Adam talks to the angel, while Eve looks sad and thoughtful.

The Central Panel: The Haywain and Human Folly

The middle panel is the most famous part. It shows a huge wagon piled high with hay. Around this wagon, many different people are acting foolishly and committing various sins. In the sky above, Christ is watching, but most of the people on the ground are too busy with their own desires to notice him.

An angel on top of the hay wagon is looking up and praying. The people around the wagon seem to be moving towards the right side of the painting. This movement shows that they are on a journey, and the wagon is being pulled by creatures from Hell. This suggests that all these people are heading towards a bad end.

The Right Panel: The Road to Hell

The way the people are moving in the central panel leads your eye directly to the right panel. This panel shows Hell itself. The painting suggests that the bad choices people make in life lead them directly to this terrible place.

What Materials Did Bosch Use?

Scientists have studied The Haywain Triptych very closely. They found that Bosch used a limited number of colors, or "pigments." These included azurite (for blue), lead-tin-yellow (for yellow), vermilion (for red), and ochres (for earthy tones like brown and yellow).

See also

• List of paintings by Hieronymus Bosch