Artwork
The temptation of St Anthony
The temptation of St Anthony is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Adriaen Brouwer. It dates from 1633 and is held in the collection of the Bode Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Temptation of St Anthony is a 1633 oil painting by Adriaen Brouwer, a Flemish artist associated with the Flemish Baroque movement.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Anthony the Great, a Christian saint, being surrounded by demonic or hallucinatory figures, referencing the saint's experiences with temptation and spiritual struggle.
Technique & Style
Characterized by deep shadows and rough brushstrokes, the work creates a sense of unease, diverging from Brouwer's typical genre scenes of everyday life.
Context
Brouwer's innovative style and use of expressive faces, often seen in his tronies, are adapted here to convey the turmoil of St Anthony's ordeal.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen Brouwer (c. 1605 – January 1638) was a Flemish painter active in Flanders and the Dutch Republic in the first half of the 17th century. Brouwer was an important innovator of genre painting through his vivid…
