2-975-465 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Calling of Saint Anthony, c.1530. Other Title(s): The Calling of St Anthony. A priest is preaching to a congregation gathered inside and in front of a church. The six men standing in a group on the right all have individualised features and are in contemporary dress, and are probably the donors of the painting. The most prominent man, dressed in blue with a fur-lined cloak, reappears in the right background, where he is doling out bread to the poor and the lame. The Tau cross and bell hanging from a chain around his neck identify him as a member of the Brotherhood of St Antony. The scene shows a contemporary of the artist in the role of St Antony