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Christ told the parable of the rich man. At his gate lay a poor man called Lazarus who was ill and hoped for charity. The poor man died and was carried to heaven, but at the rich man's death he was sent to hell. New Testament (Luke 16:19-23). The rich man standing at the entrance to hell is not actually described in the Bible. Teniers conceived it as a cave mouth surrounded by demons and monsters.
It has been suggested that there was a pendant to this work showing the rich man at table, but no such picture is now known. This painting is dated to about 1647, the date of Tenier's 'Temptation of Saint Anthony' (Berlin) in which comparable monsters appear. The Antwerp coat of arms is branded on the reverse of the panel.
Monsters such as these ultimately derive from the creations of Bosch. Teniers may have been influenced more directly by Cornelis Saftleven (e.g. 'The Rich Man being led to Hell', 1631, Warsaw, National Museum).
It has been suggested that there was a pendant to this work showing the rich man at table, but no such picture is now known. This painting is dated to about 1647, the date of Tenier's 'Temptation of Saint Anthony' (Berlin) in which comparable monsters appear. The Antwerp coat of arms is branded on the reverse of the panel.
Monsters such as these ultimately derive from the creations of Bosch. Teniers may have been influenced more directly by Cornelis Saftleven (e.g. 'The Rich Man being led to Hell', 1631, Warsaw, National Museum).
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The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN