What do you see? (OBJECTIVE OBSERVATION)
There is a lot to look at, isn’t there? A man, older, maybe, with a long white beard and a balding head. He is high up in the air. Is he falling? Is he levitating? Several creatures surround him. Are there 8 or 9? Some are winged. Some are scaled. Some are toothed. Some have snouts, claws, hands, tails, clubs. Are they lifting him up? Are they pulling him down? What else do you notice about the creatures?
He is wearing a robe of some sort. What do you think that means? Did you notice the halo? One of the creatures seems to be trying to pull it off of his head.
And what do you see about the landscape? What is next to the group? What is in the distance? What is below them?
All of this is important to the artist, and it is important to us, so make note. We’ll come back to it soon.
Comment below in the comment section with your OBSERVATIONS about what you see. It is helpful to write down all of your observations so that you can refer back to them. It is a good exercise and it also helps other in noticing things that they may not have seen the first time they look at this painting. Go ahead. Then come back here an continue on.
Our next question is …
What do you feel (SUBJECTIVE EMOTION) when you look at this painting? Do you feel fear? Fear for the man being attacked by the creatures? Are you repulsed by the creatures? Do you feel fear for the people in the countryside beyond, and maybe hope that the man is saving them from the creatures? Look at this man’s face. He is not afraid, nor is he repulsed. Why is that? Do you feel awe at his bravery? Is he a hero? What do you feel about this painting?
Mark 10:21
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:17-22
St. Anthony of Egypt
What do you wonder about? (A time to question)
Who is this man? The halo and the monastic robes should indicate that he is someone saintly, and in fact he is Anthony the Great1 or Anthony of the Desert or Anthony the Hermit. He lived 251-356 CE.
What else do we know about him? “The Life of Anthony”2, written in Greek in 360, tells the biographical story of Anthony, a holy man who was inspired by the Gospel of Mark to “sell what you have and give to the poor”. Anthony is considered by some to be the first Christian monk/hermit living in the desert mountains west of the Nile river.
Who painted the painting? This, to me, is a fascinating thing about this artwork. “The Torment of St. Anthony” was painted by Michelangelo3 in 1487-88, the Italian sculptor who created marvelous sculpture of David and lots of other classical Renaissance masterpieces. It is the first of only a very few paintings the master artist did. But (wait for it), this was done when he was only 12 or 13 years old! WHAT!! He was serving an apprenticeship at the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio and painted a close copy of an engraving by Martin Schongauer [“The Temptation of St. Anthony” 1470-75]
#/media/File:Schongauer_Anthony.jpg)
If you click on the engraving you will go to the full size image on the wikipedia page. You can see the differences between the Schongauer engraving and the Michelangelo painting. What did Michelangelo do to enhance the original? He added background detail (like a river and a boat and buildings), and scales to the creatures. I suspect, living in Florence, Italy, he had very little experience with deserts and much experience with ships and fish.
What about Anthony the Great inspired Shongauer and Michelangelo to illustrate this scene from his life? One of the torments that “Life of Anthony” describes is the devil afflicting Anthony with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women, which he overcame by the power of prayer, after which he moved to one of the tombs near his native village. There it was that the Life records those strange conflicts with demons in the shape of wild beasts, who inflicted blows upon him, and sometimes left him nearly dead. Anthony is said to have elevated up over the desert where the phantoms had tormented him but ultimately he overcame them.
The Temptation of St. Anthony
What Do You Think (Time To Reply)
- What do you think about Michelangelo’s work at 12-13 years old? Was he a prodigy?
- What does this type of art say about Christianity? About the life of Anthony? About piety and faithfulness?
- What do you like or dislike about this style of art (Renaissance)?
- What do you think about the creatures?
- What do you think about St. Anthony and his efforts at being a monk?
Here are some other things to research if interested.
The life of St. Anthony is very interesting. Start with the Wikipedia article on his life. In particular look at his reasons for becoming a hermit, and his difficulties in staying a hermit. After his parents died, he placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins. Then, he became an ascetic. Research what an “ascetic”4 is. And then try to understand this contradiction: “Thus, a colony of ascetics was formed, who begged Anthony to come forth and be their guide in the spiritual life. Eventually, he yielded to their importunities and, about the year 305, emerged from his retreat. To the surprise of all, he appeared to be not emaciated, but healthy in mind and body.”
At any rate, according to “Life”, St. Anthony lead a very interesting life, none the least of which was depicted in Michelangelo’s painting.
Share your thoughts in the comments below.