The Haywain Triptych

The world is a haystack

An old Flemish saying held that the world is a haystack, and everyone takes what they can grab from it. Hay stood for worthless earthly goods. Hieronymus Bosch turned that idea into a large triptych, painted around 1512 to 1515, according to the Prado.

The painting belongs to the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Like The Garden of Earthly Delights, it reads from left to right: Paradise, the world, then Hell.

A huge cart of hay

At the centre, a towering cart of hay rolls forward. On top, a group of lovers sits on the hay, playing music and singing, between an angel praying at the left and a blue devil playing a pipe at the right. They notice neither.

Above, in the clouds, Christ appears with his wounds, raising his hands. Nobody in the scene below looks up at him.

Everyone grabs a handful

Around the cart, people from every class fight to grab hay. Some climb ladders, others are crushed under the wheels. Behind the cart ride a pope, an emperor and other rulers, following it calmly.

The cart is pulled not by horses but by strange hybrid creatures, half human and half animal. They are heading to the right, towards Hell.

From the Fall to damnation

The left wing tells the story of the Fall: rebel angels falling from heaven like insects, the creation of Eve, the temptation, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise.

The right wing shows Hell. Demons are building a tower, perhaps to hold more souls, while others drag sinners in. Smoke and fire rise in the background. The sequence makes the message plain: greed leads straight from the world into damnation.

Signed by Bosch

Near the bottom of the central panel, Bosch signed his name, “Jheronimus bosch,” in Gothic letters. He took his name from his home town, ’s-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands.

When the wings are closed, the outside shows a pedlar walking along a dangerous road. That image is often read as a picture of human life as a journey full of temptations.

The wagon of hay

In the centre panel, a huge wagon of hay is pulled by strange hybrid demons towards hell. People of all classes fight to grab handfuls of hay. Some climb ladders, some fall under the wheels, some kill each other. Behind the wagon ride the pope, the emperor and other powerful figures, following calmly. On top of the hay, lovers sit absorbed in music, while an angel prays and a demon plays a pipe.

A sermon about greed

The message is clear: everyone, rich and poor, clergy and laity, is driven by greed for worthless things. The pursuit of worldly goods leads directly to damnation. Christ appears in the clouds above, watching with open arms, ignored by almost everyone. Bosch’s painting is a visual sermon, comparable to the preaching of his time.

From paradise to hell

The left wing shows the creation of Eve, the Fall and the expulsion from Eden, along with the fall of the rebel angels. The right wing shows hell, where demons build a tower and sinners are punished. The triptych reads from left to right as the story of sin, from its origin to its consequences.

The wayfarer on the outside

When the wings are closed, they show a weary traveller walking along a dangerous road, surrounded by signs of violence and folly. He is often interpreted as a symbol of the Christian on life’s journey, who must find his way through a sinful world.

Where to see it

The Haywain Triptych hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Like The Garden of Earthly Delights, it was acquired by King Philip II. Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. You can also read about Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights.

Questions about The Haywain Triptych

What does the hay mean?

Hay symbolises worthless earthly goods, after a Flemish proverb: the world is a haystack, and everyone grabs what they can.

Where is the original?

Museo del Prado, Madrid.

What is on the outside?

A wandering pedlar on a dangerous road.

When was it painted?

Around 1512 to 1515, according to the Prado.

What does the hay symbolise?

Worthless earthly goods that people greedily grab.

What is shown on the outer wings?

A wayfarer walking through a dangerous world, often read as the Christian on life’s journey.

Sources and image credit

• Museo del Prado: The Haywain Triptych
• Wikimedia Commons: Haywain Triptych

Public-domain reproduction of The Haywain Triptych (about 1512 to 1515), via Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same historical painting; no reconstruction or upscaling.