The Torment of Saint Anthony

The Torment of Saint Anthony, painted by a teenage Michelangelo Buonarroti around 1487, stands as his earliest known painting, created when he was just 12 or 13 years old. This tempera and oil on panel work vividly depicts the harrowing trial of Saint Anthony the Abbot, who, according to Christian tradition, was assaulted by demons in the Egyptian desert.

The composition showcases Michelangelo's precocious talent through its dynamic arrangement. Demons - rendered as fantastical hybrid creatures with fish scales, bat wings, and grotesque features - swarm around the elderly saint, pulling at his robes and hair. The atmospheric landscape below features rocky outcrops and a monastery, while the sky transitions from dark to light, emphasising the spiritual struggle between good and evil. The artist's exceptional attention to anatomical detail and his ability to capture movement are remarkably advanced for his age.

This early work was heavily influenced by an engraving by Martin Schongauer, which Michelangelo used as reference. However, he added his own interpretations, including vibrant colours and enhanced sculptural qualities that would later become hallmarks of his style. The young artist reportedly visited fish markets to study the colours and textures of fish scales and fins to create more convincing demons, demonstrating his early commitment to naturalistic observation. This piece offers fascinating insights into Michelangelo's developmental years, before he became the sculptor and painter who would transform Renaissance art.

The painting's technical execution reveals Michelangelo's emerging mastery of both tempera and oil techniques, unusual for such a young artist. The work's dramatic composition and emotional intensity presage the monumental style that would later characterise his ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, making this early piece particularly significant in understanding his artistic evolution.