MANDIJN, Jan
(b. ca. 1500, Haarlem, d. 1559, Antwerpen)

Temptation of St Anthony in a Panoramic Landscape

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Oil on panel, 20 x 29 cm
Private collection

The theme of the tempted hero has been a favourite among artists since antiquity: conqueror of evil, resistant to his ordeals, impassive in the face of temptation, St Anthony was able to stand up to the devil and his numerous vices. In this version of the subject, placed in the middle of a large panoramic landscape, St Anthony retreats into prayer to better fight the fantastic and satanic fauna pressing around him.