Saint Anthony Reading

In this engraving, St Anthony, an Egyptian monk who as a young man sought solitude, abstinence, and meditation in the desert and is also considered the first Christian hermit, is seated and is reading a book. His pilgrim’s hat lies to his left, and his symbols, a cross and a bell, are placed to his right. St Anthony the Great was a popular object of devotion. A learned hermit, he was believed to be able to alleviate a number of skin complaints, a series of which were described as St Anthony’s fire. Monks of the Order of St. Anthony were a common sight in medieval times, and the bells they used to request alms became one of the saint’s attributes.

Dürer, here, in one of his rare horizontal compositions, avoids the more picturesque episode of the saint's temptation and instead shows him in scholarly contemplation. Instead of a comfortable room, however, Dürer has placed the ascetic saint in front of a spectacular cityscape, which for us today is probably the main attraction of this print.

Have a calm Sunday!

P.S. The mystery of Dürer’s magic square is here to solve!