Anthony Abbot was a 3rd-century saint who retired to the desert, where he was frequently tempted by the Devil. In this depiction he receives a vision of Christ during his torment.

The painting is considered to date from the early part of Annibale's activity in Rome and shows the influence of both Northern Italian models, like Correggio's figures in the cupola of S. Giovanni Evangelista in Parma, and Roman ones. The pose of Saint Anthony recalls Michelangelo's Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.