Getty Museum
The Torment of Unchaste Monks and Nuns
Creator
Simon MarmionFlemish Illuminator · 1450–1489
All works by this person →Not long after his death, Simon Marmion was praised by the poet Jean Lemaire de Belges as the "prince of illumination." This reputation probably owed much to the artist's proficiency in depicting nature and his skill as a storyteller. Marmion was especially gifted in the representation of light and the textures of objects, as well as the creation of engaging psychological content in the gestures a
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1475
- Medium
- Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink
- Culture
- Franco-Flemish
- Department
- Manuscripts
- Institution
- Getty Museum
- Object ID
- 060c1374-ac8a-4125-90aa-299099cb4266
The angel points out to Tondal's soul the beast that tortures unchaste priests and nuns. After the beast devours the souls, he excretes them, dropping them onto a frozen pond. Once on the ice, the souls regain their bodily forms but now both women and men are made pregnant. As multiple creatures grow inside them, they eat the sinners' entrails. The sinners eventually give birth to hideous serpents, which emerge from all parts of their bodies. This torment is reserved not only for nuns and priests but for all men and women who are guilty of the sin of lust. As punishment for his lustful life, Tondal's soul goes through one cycle of this torment before the angel rescues him and they continue their journey.
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