The Temptation of St Anthony (Bosch painting)
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| Artist | Hieronymus Bosch |
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| Year | After 1490 |
| Type | Oil on panel |
| Dimensions | 73 cm × 52.5 cm (29 in × 20.7 in) |
| Location | Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid |
The Temptation of St. Anthony is a panel by Hieronymus Bosch. It is currently in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
St. Anthony the Abbot, seen here meditating in a sunny landscape near the trunk of a dry tree. St. Anthony is a recurrent figure in Bosch's work, with up to 15 paintings of this subject. Represented here in a setting of solitude and temptation that the saint experienced over twenty years. Although this picture is significantly different from other works by Bosch of St. Anthony, such as the triptych painting of the same name, customary features of the abbot include the his dark brown habit with the Greek letter "tau" and pig by his side.[1][2][3]
In contrast to the earlier paintings with St. Anthony, this version of The Temptation of St. Anthony finds the abbot calmer from his meditative spirit. His surroundings are peaceful and evoke a sense of calm. The pig lies next to him like a pet. Once demons, the creatures of temptation are now more like goblins and don't disturb the peaceful feeling of the painting. The contemplative spirit evokes the saying by 14th century mystic, Ruysbroeck: "Staring and devoted, and joy at the unity of objects and being."[3]
This painting, originally framed with a semi-circular arch, was one of Bosch's later works, from sometime after 1490. Phillip II of Spain sent it to the Monastery of El Escorial near Madrid. From there the painting came to the Museo del Prado as part of the Royal Collection.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Kren, Emil and Marx, Daniel. St Anthon"The Temptation of St Anthony". The Web Gallery of Art. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ a b "The Temptation of Saint Anthony". Madrid, Spain: Museo Nacional del Prado. http://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/online-gallery/on-line-gallery/zoom/1/obra/the-temptation-of-saint-anthony/oimg/0/. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
- ^ a b Falk, K (2008). The Unknown Hieronymus Bosch. Singapore: Goldenstone Press. p. 49. ISBN 978-1-55643-759-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=2h1xyL1GvOYC&pg=PA49.
