Verzoeking van Antonius 1636 - 1679

Curator: Welcome! Before us, we have "The Temptation of St. Anthony," an engraving created by Frans van den Wijngaerde, sometime between 1636 and 1679. Editor: The hatching technique gives this print a definite subterranean vibe. Look at those fantastic, almost caricatured figures emerging from the cave shadows! Curator: Precisely. The artist uses stark lines to create an allegorical scene. The grotto, with its opening like a primal womb, is beset with symbolic representations of the perils faced during times of trial. Editor: I am wondering, looking at the level of detail and time put into this single work on paper; how did it circulate? Who was able to consume the image and at what point in their lives? And even, where was something like this hung in the home? Was it ever touched by its viewers? Curator: The symbolic vocabulary of this era relied heavily on visual shorthands, as seen in depictions of St. Anthony and his trials. Here, temptation is given form, represented as hybrid creatures and monstrous forms, a stark depiction of inner conflict externalized. Editor: Look how deliberately the composition places Anthony towards the center. Though he is seated among a chaotic, if you will, 'table setting' of tempting, perhaps immoral objects or figures, he takes up almost no negative space at all! This emphasizes the idea that even with physical isolation, a person's temptations become its own environment to deal with. The snake creeping up near one figure is almost cute. Ironic in contrast with everything else going on here, really! Curator: Indeed, it speaks volumes about the symbolic charge placed onto animals like the serpent! In that light, consider the light filtering into the cavern, the play between clarity and obscurity. Doesn’t this emphasize the eternal struggle? Editor: A print like this becomes, in my view, both an artistic and cultural record that should really push forward conversation between what’s displayed in grand halls, and the personal, intimate touches given in someone’s living room. Curator: An enduring image, wouldn't you say, a testament to our fascination with symbolic representation. Editor: Definitely, seeing it from a materials-focused view just shows the value added through accessible art!