Temptation of Saint Anthony of Egypt (c. 1400s): Art, History and Details

Temptation of Saint Anthony of Egypt (c. 1400s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Saint Anthony (AD 251–356) was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. Many of his tales are conveyed in the Golden Legend, a classic work of the Middle Ages containing lively tales of saints’ miracles written in a simple style for a wide audience. This scene illustrates the supernatural temptation faced by Saint Anthony during his retreat to the Egyptian desert. The saint is being tempted by hideous demons, which he resisted.

Object facts

• Title: Temptation of Saint Anthony of Egypt
• Date: c. 1400s
• Culture: France, c. 15th century
• Type: Sculpture
• Technique: stone
• Dimensions: Overall: 46.4 x 38.6 cm (18 1/4 x 15 3/16 in.)
• Collection: MED - Gothic
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1938.168

Collection credit

Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Further reading listed by the museum

• The Brummer Gallery Records. Cloisters (Museum), n.d.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.