Flemish School, 17th century

Anonymous sale, New York, Christie’s, 10 October 1990, lot 158 (as Attributed to Egbert van Heemskerk);

Where acquired by the present collector.

This whimsical and slightly ghoulish scene illustrates the temptation of Saint Anthony, a popular subject in the Southern Netherlands from the late 15th century onward. In a fantastic cave teeming with infernal monsters and bizarre creatures, Saint Anthony clutches his rosary and recoils in horror at the spellbound book overhead, levitating through the seductress' sorcerous gaze.

This lively, dynamic composition follows in the tradition of the Flemish painter Hieronymus Bosch (1453–1516), who was the first to explore the hallucinatory theme of the hermit saint in such vivid pictorial terms. The subject afforded artists creative liberties to depict various fantastical elements while illustrating the power of faith and prayer. Here, Saint Anthony withstands temptation and serves as a didactic example for Christians to emulate.

We are grateful to Dr. Fred Meijer for his assistance in the cataloguing of this lot.