2-976-804 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Temptation of St Anthony, c.1550-c.1600. St Antony is seen sunk in prayer. He is leaning on a rock with an apple and a wooden staff lying on it. On his cloak is the Tau cross of the Antonine monks.A river with a small boat steered by a woman separates the foreground from the actual scene of temptation on the right of the composition. There a nude woman stands inside a house, the upper part of which takes the form of the head of an old woman. Perched on top of her head is a dovecote, which signified a brothel in the 16th century. In addition to the dovecote, the nude woman, who has sunk up to her knees in the ‘cesspit of vice’, and the swan on the flag also refer to this house of easy virtue. In the middle ages, and later, the swan often adorned the signboards of inns. A monastery is going up in flames in the background to the left of St Antony, with bird-like devils flying around in the clouds of smoke. There is also a flying fish with a devil on its back and an owl, both heading towards the house. This particular owl can be interpreted as a symbol of temptation and seduction.