Iconology of the Wayfarer Triptych – Detail

… the spit and image of the Prodigal Son [English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Luke, 15:11-32] makes a temporary appearance under the “White Swan” sign. Hunched forward with knees bent, like his double, he is engaged in repaying the sinister house in its own coin for pleasure it has afforded him. (p. 265)

Bosch’s reinterpretation of aquarius as a man relieving himself reveals the painter’s cunning wit and is by no means far-fetched, as one might suppose in judging from the English word “water-carrier”. The Dutch name for this zodiac sign is waterman and does not imply the idea of carrying. It could equally well mean a man who makes water. The thought of depicting this zodiac sign as a urinating person was close at hand, as is proved by Rembrandt’s painting of Ganymede in which the frightened boy carried up to heaven by the divine eagle is represented in the same way39. Ganymede, according to some commentaries on Ovid’s Metamorphoses , was thought to be the aquarius [Rembrandt , 1635; van Mander, 1604, fol. 87]. (p. 19)

The third figure representation at the inn is a man relieving himself. This figure is not represented inside the building as are the others, but appears outside. It seems to be similar to them also in its meaning and it, too, may refer to what the peddler has done in the activity of his does not seem to be a professional one in the the word but rather a typical vice which is characteristic connected with the profession of a peddler. A figure relieving himself frequently occurs in art in drinking [Philip, 1958, 19:note 39-40, 70:note 147; Lafond, 1914, 86-87; Hollstein, 1949, VI, 22; du Hameel, ca. 1478-1506; Donatello, ca. 1457-1464; Titian, 1518; Michelangelo, 1533]. Surely the peddler had had his share of drinks Many of his attributes point to this, and even the wound the result of a fall during drunkenness. That the peddler also been assumed by Bax [Philip, 1958, 70:note 148; Bax, 1949, 224f.; Hauber, 1916, 75; Panofsky, Giehlow & Saxl, 1923, 27]. It is again in this characterization ard that the figure corresponds to the conjurer [Bosch, ca. 1475], for distinctly characterized as a glutton [Philip, 1958, 34:note 66]. (pp. 69-70)