What My Favorite Painting Taught Me About Being Human

Summary

This post explores the weird, surreal, and endlessly fascinating world of The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. Through personal reflection, I unpack what this painting taught me about imagination, subjectivity, and how we make sense of humanity, evolution, and even the afterlife.

As the Line Disappeared…

As the line slowly started to disappear, I was next to see the triptych in person at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. I’d seen it before — in books, online, as a printed image — but seeing it up close? It hit different.

I knew right away when I saw it on paper: I had to go see it in person.
This painting, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, is easily one of the most intriguing and surreal visual interpretations of biblical storytelling. Each figure, object, and scene is packed with strange beauty, symbolism, and mystery. And here’s what this painting has taught me about being human.

The Imagination Knows No Bounds

The human mind is wild. It can conjure entire worlds that don’t exist — or maybe do exist, in the strange space between dream and thought. Bosch’s painting proves that imagination isn’t just for children or fantasy novels; it’s a powerful way to understand what we fear, desire, and believe.

The middle panel of the triptych — the “earthly delights” — is where imagination runs loose. On the left side, you’ll find humans interacting with giant birds and fruit in ways that are playful, unsettling, and symbolic. There are even figures eating grapes from the beak of a European Goldfinch. These details aren’t just decoration. They’re Bosch’s way of showing us how far the mind can stretch — and how deeply art can reflect that strangeness.

Everything Is Subjective

Especially in art, there’s no single “right” interpretation. What I see might be completely different from what you see — and that’s what makes art so personal and powerful.

When I look at the first panel — the one that depicts the Garden of Eden — my eyes are drawn to these strange black figures crawling out of the water and onto land. It instantly reminded me of evolution: the idea of life starting in the sea and slowly making its way onto land, eventually becoming human.

Is that what Bosch meant? Maybe not. But that’s the beauty of it.
Art invites us to bring our own stories, our own history, and our own lens. That’s how we make meaning — not just in museums, but in life.

“We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.” – Anaïs Nin

The Afterlife, According to Bosch

One of the reasons this painting is so famous is its chaotic, creepy, and captivating depiction of the afterlife. In the final panel — often called “Hell” — Bosch gives us a nightmare playground of strange creatures, punishments, and surreal scenes.

One figure I can’t stop thinking about: a tall, bird-headed creature in ice skates gliding over water, surrounded by figures in distress. What does it mean? Who knows. It’s terrifying and whimsical all at once.

Maybe Bosch was warning us. Maybe he was poking fun of the Church. Maybe he was just letting his subconscious pour out onto the canvas.
Regardless, the afterlife here isn’t some simple heaven-or-hell binary. It’s a universe of weird, layered imagery — some of it funny, some of it dark, and all of it wildly human.

Who knows? Maybe there is a blue human body with a bird head eating people on a golden throne.

That existed in Bosch’s world, and maybe somewhere in ours too.

Conclusion: Art That Mirrors Our Weird, Wonderful Humanity

Seeing The Garden of Earthly Delights in person reminded me of something simple but profound: being human is strange. We’re imaginative, messy, evolving creatures — always trying to make meaning, even when it doesn’t quite make sense.

Bosch’s painting isn’t just a masterpiece because it’s old or beautiful — it’s a masterpiece because it reminds us that the human mind is infinite, and that our interpretations of the world are valid, shifting, and worthy of exploration.

Whether you’re staring at a painting, writing a poem, or just daydreaming in the park — that’s all part of being beautifully, weirdly human. And if you want to keep exploring this creative side, you can consider attending a class at Happy Hands Art Studio or reading more of our blog posts.