How does The Hermit Saints elucidate its Description?
The depictions of hell, heaven, and earth in Bosch's artwork showcase the varying stages of existence as the panels move from scenes of heaven to Earth, and finally, shift onwards into Bosch's visions of hell.  The left panel in The Hermit Saints depicts a hierarchal depiction of hell and each of the hermit saints devotion to Christ.In the background of the left panel a church, a well, a bridge, two human figures, and carious trees can be seen silhouetted amongst the glow of fires ominous light. Nearest in the foreground resides the first saint, St. Anthony, an older man who is gathering water in a small vessel as he is surrounded by various creatures of hell, both on land and within the small body of water near the man. To the older man's right stands a tree with a white sheet as two smaller human figures push through the sheet to enter the body of water. Within this triptych Saint Anthony appears secluded, a juxtaposition with Bosch's more chaotic depictions of St. Anthony, like that of the Triptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony. In this painting, the saint appears in agony, surrounded by monstrous figures of hell actively attacking one another. The seclusion of the figure in The Hermit Saints  connects to the devotion exhibited  by the other two saints in second and third panels and likewise, contrasting with the chaotic scenes of passion displayed in the Bosch's Temptation of Saint Anthony.
The middle panel is an Earthly scene with recognizable lifeforms such as deer, birds, and iguanas inhabiting the land. The second saint depicted is St. Jerome, another older man, who can be seen in the midst of worship, as a small crucifix stands slanted before him. To the left of the crucifix is a small relief depicting a human figure and a unicorn. The small relief is echoed as another small column depicts a celestial scene with  a human figure bent down on their knees, gazing up to a distinctly separate scene of the sun and the moon. In the entirety of this panel, the faith St. Jerome has for Christ is symbolized by the physical space of the vastness of the land. The focal point of St. Jerome showcases the pain and suffering of Christ, allowing St. Jerome to contemplate and empathize with Christ's experiences with suffering in life.The third panel portrays third saint, who appears to be St. Giles, who remains dwelling in a cave, deep in prayer with an arrow lodged in his chest, a deer by his feet, and a face peering out of the darkness of the cave.
hell St. Jerome Triptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony unicorn left St. Anthony Christ Triptych Jerome St. Giles crucifix triptych