The Temptation of St. Anthony

'The Temptation of Saint Anthony' is a dramatic poem in prose by the French author Gustave Flaubert, who is best-remembered today for writing Madame Bovary. Flaubert visited the Balbi Palace in Genoa, and was inspired by a painting of the same title, then attributed to Bruegel the Elder (now thought to be by one of his followers). It takes as its subject the famous temptation faced by Saint Anthony the Great, in the Egyptian desert, a theme often repeated in medieval and modern art. It is written in the form of a play script, detailing one night in the life of Anthony the Great, during which he is faced with great temptations.