His illustrations are characterized by vivid colors, an emphasis on bright light and inviting landscapes with pruned trees and splendid churches. Van Lathem worked for numerous noble patrons in Flanders. Every page is decorated, and the book features thirty-seven large miniatures. The image on the left was painted by Lieven van Lathem in a small prayer book made for Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy (1467-1477). Anthony’s hard-fought victory portrays a type of male strength that monks pursued, and was viewed by many as manly within a system that excluded them from displaying traditional markers of masculinity. Anthony functions as a symbol of chaste monastic masculinity: even in the face of repeated temptation, Anthony combats his needs for pleasure and comfort, to triumph over the devil’s seductive invitation. Murray’s work offers insight into how St. In her work on monastic masculinity, Jacqueline Murray asserts that many medieval monks retained their masculine identities by portraying themselves as heroic warriors locked in combat with intense bodily desires. Her pink wings, folded behind her back, signal that she is actually a demon. As he approaches his dwelling, he turns around to discover a young woman standing behind him. In the second illumination, Anthony returns to his desert hut. Anthony’s iconographic swine peeks out at the devil. She is elegantly dressed, and looks human, except for her clawed feet which signal a demonic presence. He looks up at what appears to be a beautiful woman offering him a golden chalice.

In the image on the left, Anthony is seated, holding a Bible and a rosary.

He was a third century desert hermit in Egypt who was credited as the founder of Christian monasticism. Master of the Osservanza, painter (Image #2) Creator: Lathem, Lieven van, painter (Image #1).Title: Temptation of Saint Anthony (Image #1).The Temptation of Saint Anthony Abbot (Image #2)

Medieval illuminations demon leaving