Demonen proberen Sint-Antonius te verleiden 1853

Henri François Schaefels made this etching, "Demons Trying to Tempt Saint Anthony," in 1855. The image participates in a long tradition within European art of visualizing the trials of the hermit Saint Anthony as he confronts doubt, heresy, and temptation. The image creates meaning through visual codes recognizable to a largely Christian audience within Belgium at this time. We see Saint Anthony, the bearded, kneeling figure, surrounded by monstrous figures. The demons are at once terrifying and seductive, echoing the anxieties around faith, flesh, and sin that gripped Europe throughout the 19th Century, especially in light of burgeoning scientific discoveries around evolution. Looking closely at this etching allows the historian to access not only the life and work of Schaefels, but also to consider a rich visual culture that spoke to the power of art to engage and challenge social norms. Understanding this artwork depends on seeing it as contingent on its social and institutional context.