Here we have an unreal folk art wood sculpture plaque of the Temptation of St. Anthony. Before we get into that story, let me just say that this one of the wildest folk art sculptures I've ever some across. Macabre, darkly erotic, sinister, and the poor gent in the middle of all the crazy action. And the execution is stunning. I can't even imagine the twisted hand that came up with this one. They definitely had the hand/eye coordination.
Here we go with the wild story, courtesy of Wikipedia:
The Temptation of Saint Anthony is an often-repeated subject in the history of art and literature, concerning the supernatural temptation reportedly faced by Saint Anthony the Great during his sojourn in the Egyptian desert. Anthony's temptation is first discussed by Athanasius of Alexandria, Anthony's contemporary, and from then became a popular theme in Western culture.
The common medieval subject, included in the Golden Legend and other sources, shows Saint Anthony being tempted or assailed in the desert by demons, whose temptations he resisted; the Temptation of St Anthony (or Trial...) is the more common name of the subject. But strictly there are at least two different episodes deriving from Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony and later versions of the life that may be represented, though all usually have this name. The most common is the temptation, by seductive women and other demonic forms, but the Martin Schongauer composition (copied by Michelangelo) probably shows a later episode where St Anthony, normally flown about the desert supported by angels, was ambushed and attacked in mid-air by devils. Anasthasius describes another episode where the saint was attacked on the ground.
The rare folk art sculpture comes out of the family's estate in Wisconsin. The artwork is initialed on the reverse "H.W.L." The artist is unknown so we're dealing with a mystery artist. The piece was likely created in the late 1940s or early 50s.
Here's more background about the infamous radio host turned folk artist, courtesy of the Old Time Radio website:
Tony Wons was a popular personality during the depression receiving 2,000 fan letters a week. Anthony "Tony" Wons was also known as "scrapbookman" as he collected works of writing from Shelley, Whitman, and other great writers. He also took suggestions from the fans of his show. Tony Wons Scrapbook is a conversational show and he is like an old friend who stops by for a chat. He often asked the listening audience "Are you listening?"
He actually carved violins for music students after he moved back to Wisconsin! I mean, C'mon.
The unusual sculpture stands 13" wide and 10 1/2" tall. There is perfect surface patina throughout the piece. The artwork is very solid and awesome. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.
I ship FedEx to street addresses only (no PO Boxes). Free shipping on the rare folk art sculpture.
This chaotic beauty continues to floor me. Trust me on this one.
