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David Teniers the Younger, 'The Rich Man being led to Hell', about 1647

About the work

Overview

The fires of hell light up Teniers’s cave-like underworld with an eerie glow. An old man stands, hands raised in self-defence, his eyes wide with fear at the sight of the horrors around him. Weird creatures gather in glee to welcome another soul into the dreadful place that his greed and avarice have led him to.

The story – a parable that Christ told his disciples about the evil of gathering wealth without doing charitable deeds – comes from the Gospel of Luke. This picture shows the fate of the rich man who rejected the beggar Lazarus in his last hours: while Lazarus was carried to heaven, the rich man went to hell as a punishment. Flanders was a Catholic country and the idea of hell was very real, but sinners could receive forgiveness for their trespasses. This is a picture meant as a moral message, but perhaps with a light tone.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Rich Man being led to Hell
Artist dates
1610 - 1690
Date made
about 1647
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
48 × 69 cm
Inscription summary
Signed
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1871
Inventory number
NG863
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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