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'The Ladder of the Salvatoin of the Human Soul, and the Road to Heaven.'

Date, about 1200. Discovered in 1870. The most complete as well as the most interesting example of the Ecclesiastical Art Canon that has come down to us. Divided into two parts by a cloudy band, 'Nebuly'. The lower is devoted to the torments and punishments of the wicked, the upper to the salvation of souls. In the centre, a ladder, with Christ above. The story begins in lower right corner, the Tree of Knowledge with the Serpent in it. The seven deadly sins are depicted, starting from the left. Sloth (slow walking of women), Gluttony (the pilgrim with bottle), Pride (proud of appearance and capacity of hands), and, above, Anger (two quarelling for possession of trumpet), Lust (man embrassing woman), Covertouness (love of money), Envy (one with little hair envying the other with more hair). Above, punishment of deceitful traders (a) to walk across the hideous bridge, and (b) to carry on their trade without the proper aids: potter without a wheel, spinners without a wheel, mason and a blacksmith without an anvil. In the upper stage, starting from the left: St. Michael weighing the souls and the Devil trying to bear down the scales with bad deeds. He has a rope to bind the damned. Three Marys, friends of our Lord, being taken to heaven, and, above the Assumption of the Blessed Mary. On the right hand side of the ladder, Enoch and Elijah going to heaven, and at the extreme right, our Lord transfixing the Devil with his victorious Cross and making him powerless (hands tied). At the same time the Devil is being swallowed up by Leviathan. Our Lord is 'preaching to the spirits in prison' - Adam and Eve and all who lived before Him. They are welcoming Him and His Gospel. The Angel has a scroll ' Open ye the gates that the righteous may enter' . At the bottom of the ladder there is a Symbol of Life. This may be gained by climbing the ladder to Christ seated in glory between the sun and the moon. A pathetic figure clings to the ladder , but the Devil is about to pitchfork him into the cauldron reserved for murderers. The Dedication Cross is on the lower edge of the painting , which measures 17 ft by 11 ft.

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