While the art of the older masters was based in the physical world of everyday experience, Bosch confronts his viewer with, in the words of the art historian Walter Gibson, "a world of dreams nightmares in which forms seem to flicker and change before our eyes".
Kui vanemate meistrite kunst põhines igapäevaste kogemuste tegelikul maailmal, seab Bosch kunstiajaloolase Walter Gibsoni sõnul vaataja vastamisi "unenägude luupainajate maailmaga, kus kujud paistavad meie silme all värelevat ja muutuvat".