The Torment of Saint Anthony

"The Torment of Saint Anthony" is widely considered the earliest known painting by Michelangelo, created when he was merely 12 or 13 years old. This artwork is a meticulous copy of an engraving by Martin Schongauer and is now prominently exhibited at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. The painting vividly depicts Saint Anthony tormented by demons in the desert, a popular medieval theme known as the "Temptation of St. Anthony."

Initially attributed to the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, the painting was later confirmed to be Michelangelo's own work due to distinctive stylistic features. The Kimbell Art Museum acquired this masterpiece for an undisclosed amount, rumored to exceed $6 million. Renowned art historian Giorgio Vasari noted that Michelangelo had enhanced Schongauer's original engraving by adding intricate details such as fish scales and modifying the landscape and the saint's expression.

This painting is one of only four surviving panel paintings by Michelangelo and the sole example from his early teenage years, assuming the new attribution is correct. Interestingly, Michelangelo later expressed a strong aversion to oil painting, making this early work a rare gem in his oeuvre. The painting also underscores the influence of Schongauer's late-Gothic style on Michelangelo, reflecting the broad dissemination of Schongauer's prints across Europe at the time.