St. Anthony

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St. Anthony, a figure from around 1500, is displayed in Stenderup Church, Eastern Jylland, at The National Museum of Denmark (Copenhagen, Denmark). Created with Memento Beta (now ReMake) software from AutoDesk. St. Anthony (251-356), an Egyptian hermit, was considered one of the pioneers of monastic life. His emblem featured a T-shaped crozier, but he is often depicted holding a bell and standing beside a pig, symbols of the begging and pig breeding that characterized the Antonine monks. The biography of Anthony's life by Athanasius of Alexandria helped spread the concept of Christian monasticism in Western Europe through its Latin translations. He is frequently regarded as the first Christian monk, but his own biography and other sources make it clear that many ascetics existed before him. Anthony was, however, the first to retreat into the wilderness. For further updates, follow @GeoffreyMarchal on Twitter.