Saint Eligius releases a demon from the possessed

Saint Eligius releases a demon from the possessed

Demonic Possession

St. Eligius (c. 590-659) was the bishop of Noyon. Painted in the fifteenth century by an anonymous artist. Eligius is shown praying, and identified by the halo as the exorcist in this scene of demonic possession. Two men restrain the male demoniac. The departing demon, depicted here as exceptionally large, has horns, bat wings, claws and a human body. This demon is visually similar to the Limbourg Brothers manuscript. The two restrainers act as a crowd though it is one of the few images that does not contain non-participatory audience figures. The scene occurs in a small space with circular windows in the gray brick structure. There appears to be no ceiling as the upper portion has cloud or mountains painted in the distance. The Getty through the DEA Picture Library has provided the image. The source for this image is The Devil Within: Possession and Exorcism in the Christian West by Brian P. Levack

unknown

The Getty DEA Picture Library

The Getty

15th century

The Getty

http://www.gettyimages.com/Corporate/LicenseAgreements.aspx#RM

http://www.getty.edu/

Painting

[no text]

Still Image

[no text]

[no text]

[no text]

[no text]