The Temptation of St. Anthony (Carrington)
| The Temptation of St. Anthony | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Artist | Leonora Carrington |
| Year | 1945[1] |
| Medium | Oil on canvas[1] |
| Dimensions | 122 cm × 91 cm (48 in × 36 in) |
| Location |
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The Temptation of St. Anthony (Spanish: La tentación de San Antonio)[1] is a 1945 painting by Mexican-English artist Leonora Carrington.
History and description
[edit]The Temptation of St. Anthony was created for the Bel Ami International Art Competition,[2] in which the winning work would be featured in the film The Private Affairs of Bel Ami (1947), an American drama directed by Albert Lewin. Lewin commissioned multiple artists, including Carrington, to paint their own version of a passage about Anthony the Great and paid each US$500.[3]
Anthony is depicted as a fragile androgynous figure dressed in umbrella-shaped white garments, featuring three faces that represent his journey from meditation to enlightenment. Next to him appear many of the temptations he faced, including a pig that represents gluttony and comfort, and the Queen of Sheba, dressed in red, representing lust. Also featured is a woman with a black gown, whose veil is held by several other women, while holding a natural horn.[4][5][6]
Reception
[edit]The Temptation of St. Anthony was sold at an auction for US$2.6 million in 2014.[7] In 2026, American singer Madonna paid tribute to the painting at the Met Gala ceremony, wearing a black Yves Saint Laurent gown designed by Anthony Vaccarello, depicting imagery inspired by the painting.[8][9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "The Temptation of St. Anthony". Consejo Leonora Carrington. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Aridjis, Chloe. "The Surrealists Move to Mexico City". The Yale Review. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sale 2784 / Lot 311". Christie's. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Martínez, Teresa (25 May 2016). "Los signos de Leonora" [The signs of Leonora]. El Norte (in Spanish). Monterrey. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Prats, Marina (5 May 2026). "El idilio de Madonna con esta pintora surrealista que ha paralizado la Gala Met" [Madonna's romance with this surrealist painter who has taken the Met Gala by storm]. HuffPost (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "Radiografía a la obra de Leonora Carrington" [An in-depth look at the work of Leonora Carrington]. El Norte (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Martinez, Alanna (24 July 2015). "Women Surrealists Recognized (Almost a Century Late) in Sotheby's Selling Show". The New York Observer. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Lynch, Joe (4 May 2026). "Madonna Shows How It's Done With Witchy, Weird Met Gala Look". Billboard. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Botelho, Renan; Werner, Kaleigh (4 May 2026). "Madonna Goes Goth in Saint Laurent at Met Gala 2026". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 6 May 2026.