The Temptation of St. Anthony

The scene represents St. Anthony who was tempted by demons as he lived the life of a hermit in the wilderness. The Temptation of St Anthony was a theme frequently painted in the Netherlands. This work shows a landscape studded with the ruins of a castle. An old man praying is shown surrounded by a myriad of demons, freely constructed by the artist's imagination from elements of fish, birds, human figures and animal bones. The old saint gazes at a woman wearing a white gown. This woman symbolizes profane love, and she tempts the saint by holding out a glass. Close examination reveals that the woman's feet are the clawed feet of a bird. Behind the saint to the left can be seen an old woman complete with horns indicating she is a manifestation of evil, pointing at the woman in white.While these various forms of demons bewilder the eyes, it must not be forgotten that Teniers also sought to convey a religious meaning. The lump of stone in front of the saint, reminiscent of an altar, holds symbols of vanitas, such as a skull and hourglass, while it also holds the symbols of salvation, a crucifix and a Bible. These motifs remind the viewer that both the saint and the viewer must choose between the path of salvation or the path of the secular world. Teniers frequently painted this subject and basically these works present a re-use of the main motifs. Compared to the works of his mature period during the 1640s when he depicted the scene in a cave, this work and his other later period works put more emphaisis on the depictoin of the landscape. (Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 31)