Scene fra de gerriges Helvede 1540 - 1609

Here, in Copenhagen's SMK, is an anonymous drawing of a scene from the miser’s hell, rendered in pen and brown ink. This piece plunges us into a vision of torment and retribution, reflecting the social anxieties around wealth and morality. The figures are caught in a moment of desperate struggle, their bodies contorted in fear, highlighting an emotional landscape of suffering. What I find striking is the central figure: a hybrid monster wielding a club. This creature, part-human and part-animal, becomes a symbol of the dehumanizing effects of greed. The scene is chaotic, with bodies half-submerged, suggesting a loss of control and identity. This image prompts us to consider the historical context in which ideas about sin, punishment, and the human condition were deeply intertwined. It reflects societal concerns about avarice and its consequences, using the visual language of hell to explore moral failings.