The Temptation of Saint Anthony

In the lower left, an elderly, tonsured Saint Anthony kneels near a recumbent figure while a dragon-like creature exhales fire toward them. Beside him, a young woman in a bright red dress dances or gestures, flanked by a demon in a black cap and gown holding a book. A dense, swirling crowd of grotesque beings—including a figure riding a camel, bird-human hybrids, and various reptilian monsters—fills the middle ground. In the upper right, a figure with a trident, possibly representing a fallen angel or pagan deity, hovers above the scene. The landscape is dominated by dark, muddy tones, with a rocky cliff on the left and a dense forest on the right, punctuated by a stormy sky.

This painting belongs to the 'drolleries' tradition popularized by Hieronymus Bosch, reflecting the late 16th-century fascination with the struggle between ascetic piety and the chaotic, demonic forces of the subconscious and the infernal.