from Vigilant Citizen:
This strange painting from 600 years ago might contain the cure to all of today’s ills.
One of my favorite art subjects in history is assuredly The Temptation of Saint Anthony. For nearly a thousand years, this theme inspired countless works of art, each providing a unique interpretation of a story that is both timeless and universal. Although Saint Anthony is mostly known in Orthodox and Catholic churches, his story is relatable to every single human on earth. And it revolves around one theme: Resisting temptation.
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Saint Anthony the Great (not to be confused with other Saint Anthonys such as Anthony of Padua) was born in the year 251. He lived most of his life in Egypt until the venerable age of 105 years.
Anthony is mostly known for enduring supernatural temptation during his sojourn in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. According to Athanasius, the devil fought Anthony by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women, which he overcame through the power of prayer. There are also tales of him being attacked by demons who appeared to him in the shape of wild beasts.
These accounts of beasts, dreams, visions, demons, and earthly temptations inspired some of the most bizarre, surreal, and imaginative paintings in art history. In every case, Saint Anthony resists temptation while remaining fateful and unphased. We need to be more like him.
Here are some examples.
Saint Anthony Beaten by the Devils (1430-32) by Stefano di Giovanni. Identified by his Tau cross, the saint is beaten by fallen angels (identified by wings and horns). Despite being savagely beaten with clubs, the saint directly looks at us, completely stoic, as if saying: “This is nothing”.
In Michaelangelo’s The Torment of Saint Anthony (1488), the saint is held aloft and is beaten by ten or so devils. Once again, his face says: “Whatever”.
The Temptation of Saint Anthony (1550) by Pieter Coecke van Aelst. In this chaotic painting, the saint faces a nude woman who tempts him with alcohol in a golden cup. Behind the nude woman is her procuress (old-world pimp) who is hoping to corrupt him. Meanwhile, Saint Anthony flashes the “stay away from me, harlot” hand sign.
While I could post dozens of other paintings, there’s a specific one that has always spoken to me on a profound level.
The Temptation of Saint Anthony (1525) by Hieronymus Bosch (or one of his followers).
While, in most paintings, Saint Anthony is surrounded by complete chaos and destruction, everything is more peaceful here. Demons are still tempting him with alcohol (left) and they’re still trying to attack and torment him. However, they’re reduced to small, nearly harmless goblins. Like in other paintings, we see creatures “invading” buildings in the background (representing demons wanting to destroy his legacy) but they aren’t causing any damage. In other words, Saint Anthony is winning … just by not giving in.
Be (More) Like Him
Nearly every spiritual current in history describes resisting temptation as the main trait that distinguishes a good person from a bad person, high spiritual value compared to animalistic mediocrity. It is a struggle that every single human must deal with and, ultimately, it is what ends up defining a person – on Earth and beyond.
While this struggle is as old as time, we are living in a time of “weaponized” temptation, scientifically crafted to make us weak, unhealthy, unstable, and demoralized.
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