Tempted Again: Sex, Death, and the Noble Pig-Dog

St. Anthony may well be the most tempted saint in history, as we have already seen him fending off distraction here and here.  Now he is tempted once again, in this 19^th century painting by Félicien Rops.

 At least here the temptation is an attractive naked lady inviting him to engage in kinky bondage play, as opposed to cow-skull sausages or scimitar-wielding mutant fish.  So that’s a point for realism, I guess?

I’m not quite sure what the orangish cloud next to her head is supposed to be.  I assume it is hair extensions, but it is such a different consistency to the hair done up in a flowery beehive that it just looks like the air next to her is spontaneously combusting, making tasty stigmata-hand barbeque in the process.

To sweeten the sexytime deal, there are these adorable half-cherubim half-skeletons floating about with rosy cheekbones, looking quite joyous as they frolic in the midst of the world’s saddest attempt at tossing a bouquet.

 However, all is not flowers and sensuous hips.  The noble pig-dog looks on disapprovingly at this scandalous naked lady.

Please put on some clothes, young lady.  Do you want to be treated like a piece of meat?

 Saint Anthony himself does not look impressed, shrinking away in horror from Lady Eros and her meticulously maintained Brazilian.  He is so distraught that his amazing beard is blowing in an entirely different direction than her hair a few feet above.  We might notice that he is covering his ears rather than his eyes, however. 

No!  Disgraceful!  I’ll just shift my head slightly to the right…mmmm, yeah…

Of course, this reaction might have something to do with the fact that immediately behind this sexy chick is this guy.

Satan might want to know that lady-type seduction is more likely to occur when there isn’t a demonic horned jester staring and licking his chops right behind her.  Also he may or may not be doing inappropriate things with that stiffened, decaying body, which probably doesn’t help the whole temptation thing. 

So, for the record: attractive lady tied up with silk ropes and smiling – possibly tempting.  Bloodied dead bodies embraced by emaciated goat-demons – not tempting.  Try to keep it straight, Dark Ones!