Mattheus van Helmont

[5] His paintings of Italianizing market scenes and fairs suggest that he possibly visited Italy but there is no documentary evidence to corroborate such trip.

[2] Mattheus van Helmont is known for his large output, which is generally signed or monogrammed, but rarely dated.

However, the Guardroom with the Release of St. Peter (Sold at Colnaghi Old Masters), formerly attributed to him has now been re-attributed to a follower of David Teniers the Younger.

The écorché plaster sculpture on the desk shows muscle groups under the skin, of use to artists and also to alchemists interested in physical health.

The violin, symbolic of inspiration, is often shown in paintings of painters' studios, but its meaning could apply equally well to alchemists.

Books, glassware, a human skull, distillation apparatus, and the furnaces in the painting are all part of the productive clutter of equipment in a busy alchemist's shop.

Catholics regard Saint Anthony as a model to be emulated as he is believed to have resisted multiple temptations sent to him by the devil.

Flemish paintings dealing with the theme of the temptation of Saint Anthony are typically populated with witches and monstrous creatures that tempt him.

While David Teniers humanized his witches and creatures in appearance as well as behaviour, van Helmont seems to continue the 16th-century tradition of emphasising their monstrosity.