The Beast Acheron
Simon Marmion (Flemish, active 1450 - 1489)
Ghent, Belgium; Valenciennes, France (Place Created), 1475
Tempera colors, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink
In this miniature, Tondal’s wandering soul observes the punishments meted out in Hell to the greedy. The illuminator has envisioned the entrance to Hell as the mouth of the beast Acheron, whose name derives from Greek mythology, referring to the river in Hades or Hell.
The J. Paul Getty Museum












