Artwork
The Calling of Saint Anthony
The Calling of Saint Anthony is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Aertgen van Leyden. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1530 by the Leiden‑born painter Aertgen van Leyden, this oil on canvas presents a religious tableau now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Executed in the early Mannerist idiom, the work combines a narrative focus with a decorative architectural setting, reflecting the artist’s dual practice as a painter and a designer of stained‑glass windows.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is Saint Anthony of Padua, shown addressing a gathered crowd that includes a woman cradling an infant. The saint’s gesture and the attentive audience suggest a moment of spiritual instruction or a miraculous intervention, themes commonly associated with Anthony’s hagiography.
Technique & Style
Van Leyden employs the elongated forms and heightened emotional expression characteristic of Northern Mannerism. The composition is organized around a grand arched doorway adorned with gold motifs, while the figures are rendered in vivid hues—blues, reds, greens, and yellows—that enhance the sense of reverence and visual drama.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection as part of its Dutch Golden Age holdings, though its early ownership records are sparse. Its attribution to Aertgen van Leyden rests on stylistic analysis and documentary references linking the work to his known output of religious subjects and glass designs.
Context
In the early sixteenth century, Leiden artists like van Leyden were navigating the transition from late Gothic realism to the more stylized Mannerist approach spreading from Italy. This work illustrates that shift, merging detailed figural observation with ornamental architecture, and aligns with contemporary devotional art intended for private contemplation or ecclesiastical display.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Aertgen Claesz. van Leyden (c. 1498 – c. 1564), also known as Allaert or Aert van Leyden or Aert Claesz. van Leyden, was a 16th-Century Dutch painter, draughtsman and designer of stained glass. Works by this artist can…
