Who painted The Torment of Saint Anthony?

The Torment of Saint Anthony was painted by Michelangelo in 1494.

Where can I see The Torment of Saint Anthony?

The Torment of Saint Anthony is held by Kimbell Art Museum.

What movement is The Torment of Saint Anthony?

The Torment of Saint Anthony is associated with High Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of The Torment of Saint Anthony?

Museum-quality prints of The Torment of Saint Anthony are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

The Torment of Saint Anthony

Michelangelo , 1494

The Torment of Saint Anthony is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Michelangelo. It dates from 1494 and is held in the collection of the Kimbell Art Museum.

About this work

Overview

The work titled The Torment of Saint Anthony, also known as The Temptation of Saint Anthony, is an oil painting housed in the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Its attribution to Michelangelo remains contested, but if the credit is accurate, the piece would represent the earliest extant work by the artist, dating to roughly 1487–88 when he was about twelve or thirteen years old.

Subject & Meaning

The composition portrays the 3rd‑century hermit Saint Anthony confronting a swarm of demonic figures in a barren landscape. The saint, rendered with a white beard and dark habit, raises his arms in a gesture of resistance as grotesque, winged and serpentine creatures close in, echoing the medieval narrative of his spiritual trials.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting closely follows an earlier engraving by Martin Schongauer, translating the print’s intricate line work into a painted surface. The palette is dominated by muted blue‑green tones, while the figures are rendered with a blend of oil and tempera that emphasizes the fantastical forms of the surrounding monsters.

History & Provenance

The image derives from Schongauer’s print, which circulated widely in the late 15th century. The painting entered the collection of the Kimbell Art Museum, where it remains on display. Its provenance prior to the museum’s acquisition is not fully documented, reflecting the uncertainties surrounding its authorship.

Context

Depictions of Saint Anthony’s temptations were a popular motif in medieval art, drawn from the Golden Legend and related hagiographies. Schongauer’s original composition captures a later episode in which the saint, usually shown soaring above the desert aided by angels, is ambushed mid‑air by demonic forces, a theme echoed in this painted version.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance.