<P> The Garden of Earthly Delights is the modern title given to a triptych oil painting on oak panel painted by the Early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch, housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1939 . It dates from between 1490 and 1510, when Bosch was between 40 and 60 years old . </P> <P> As so little is known of Bosch's life or intentions, interpretations of his intent have ranged from an admonition of worldly fleshy indulgence, to a dire warning on the perils of life's temptations, to an evocation of ultimate sexual joy . The intricacy of its symbolism, particularly that of the central panel, has led to a wide range of scholarly interpretations over the centuries . Twentieth - century art historians are divided as to whether the triptych's central panel is a moral warning or a panorama of paradise lost . Peter S. Beagle describes it as an "erotic derangement that turns us all into voyeurs, a place filled with the intoxicating air of perfect liberty". </P>

Where is the garden of earthly delights displayed