Description
New Testament theme (parable) : The Deaths of Lazarus and Dives
(Luke 16: 19-31)
At left, the death of the beggar Lazarus. (barely visible)
At center, the death of Dives, the bad rich man. He lies on a bed at the head and foot of which stand bare-foot figures with long hair (females?) Under the bed, are tow large round forms surmounted by a long curled cylindrical one. Some scholars see this as serpents crawling on Dives' moneybags. Dives, a bearded figure, lies prone on the bed Above his soul, emerging from his mouth as he dies, is pictured as a small, nude figure. It is being menaced by on each side by a demon. The demon on the left grasps the arm of the newly emerged soul- the demon on the right grasps it with one hand, and pokes it with a forked implement with the other. The demons appear to be naked,: they have feathered wings, large, round heads and short tails- perhaps an allusion to the classical faun. Their mouths are open and they have prominent teeth. Their hair is bushy and unruly.
At right, the soul of Lazarus is being welcomed into the bosom of Abraham. (Not visible in images above)
This
Some scholars believe that the subject of capital 72 is the related subject, the feast of Dives
Salet: Number 21
Location: South side of nave. South side of fourth arcade pillar from the west.
Alternate search terms (See text above for synonyms): devil, snake