The Temptations Of St. Anthony, David Teniers II The Younger (antwerp 1610 - Brussels 1690)

David Teniers II, the Younger(Antwerp, 1610 - Brussels, 1690) Workshop of
The Temptations of St. Anthony Abbot

Oil on canvas
61 x 90 cm. - Framed 95 x 125 cm.

All the details relating to this painting can be viewed at the following - LINK -

The evocative theme of the 'Temptation of St. Anthony', which spread from the 15th century onwards especially in the Flemish sphere, sees the tormented abbot during his pilgrimage in the desert, forced to resist temptations sent by the Devil to test his faith.

In the painting, in particular, Saint Anthony is kneeling in prayer, depicted surrounded by a multitude of grotesque demons and fantastic creatures, figures symbolising vice and all man's basest instincts.

Also harassing the saint are two attractive temptress women, one of whom hands him a chalice with wine to symbolise the evil nature of vice, an invitation to drunkenness and earthly pleasures and thus to lust. She has been sent by the devil as a trick to shake the faith of the saint, who draws strength from the Holy Scriptures and is intent on reading, and from the skull and crucifix placed in the foreground, symbolising salvation. The figure at his side holding the scales is probably the devil himself, recognisable by his horns.

The canvas perfectly matches the compositional style of David Teniers II (1610 - 1690), one of the most important Flemish painters of the 17th century, who particularly loved this subject and reproduced it in countless versions during his career, now scattered in public collections and private collections all over the world.

The hybrid bestiary used by Teniers to evoke the forces of evil comes directly from the repertoire of great Flemish artists, such as Hieronyimus Bosch or Jan Brueghel, whose complex symbolism gave way to a proliferation of rather suggestive demons.

The canvas is an emblem of his fantastic vein, which, thanks to the richness of the details, the depiction of the characters and the fantastic animals that animate the scene, was able to create an atmosphere at once fascinating and mysterious.

The artist made use of a rich and vibrant colour palette and a beautiful play of light and shadow, with the Saint appearing irradiated by a light, symbolising the illumination of faith.

Among the painter's most famous works on this theme are those housed
in the collections of the Prado Museum in Madrid (https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/obra-de-arte/wd/3f43ea58-7747-4915-8c47-354148846f04), the Museum of Fine Arts in Lille in France (Inventory number P95.) or, to name but one more, that of the Dresden Museum (https://skd-online-collection.skd.museum/Details/Index/408758).
Among the others, among those most similar to ours are the painting in the Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Teniers_the_Younger_-_Temptations_of_St_Anthony_in_a_G...)  or the one in the National Museum in Warsaw (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Teniers_II_-_Temptation_of_St._Anthony_-_M.Ob.1437_MNW...)


 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is completed by an attractive frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

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