St. Anthony Meeting the Satyr

Swanevelt, a Dutch Italianate artist, became a central figure in forging an ideal landscape style. While residing in Rome from 1629 to 1641, he worked for the Barberini family and obtained prestigious commissions from Philip IV of Spain. St. Anthony Meeting the Satyr is part of a series of four etchings that illustrate the story of the visit of St. Anthony to St. Paul, as told in the medieval book of saints’ lives The Golden Legend. Anthony undertook the long walk at 90 years of age, meeting a centaur and a satyr (seen here) who showed him the way. Unlike popular depictions of St. Anthony resisting the temptations of the devil, this story dwells on his discovery of mythical woodland inhabitants.