Focus on The Hermit Saints and analyze the Iconography.
Each of the three panels portrays a different Christian anchorite saint.Saint Anthony
The left panel portrays St. Anthony the Abbot in a nocturnal landscape. The village in fire is perhaps an allegory of the ergotism plague, or of the saint's alleged capability to quench fires. The saint is collecting the marshy water of a pool with a jar, surrounded by demonic visions such as the naked woman appearing behind a tent in company of several devils. Under her, a devil-fish is pouring wine from a jar, while around it are deformed crickets portrayed in grotesque postures: one is reading a missal, one has a prolonged beak and a peacock tail, while another is composed by a nun head with feet, which carries a little owl and its nest above.
The inclusion of Saint Anthony functions as a moral compass for those within Catholic communities; Saint Anthony represents the action of resisting humanly temptation. Born in Egypt, Saint Anthony was raised within a Christian environment and did not pursue education in his youth. Saint Anthony preferred a life of solitude in his home as well as in his attendance of Church; earlier on in his youth Saint Anthony showed a profound appreciation for his faith. With the death of Saint Anthony's parents in his young adult life, he entered a state of reflection on his walk to church one day and felt he must live an ascetic way of life. Through manual labor Saint Anthony gains the admiration of many, including men who seek him out to obtain his ascetic lifestyle.  
Saint Jerome
In the center is Saint Jerome, kneeling in the desert and praying at a crucifix on a stick. The setting is an altar resembling a sculpted Roman sarcophagus, located within a ruined oratory. The reliefs depicts scenes connected to the redemption theme, such as Judith and Holophernes (symbolizing the victory of the soul, or Mary killing the devil), a knight and a unicorn, symbol of virginity. In the lower part is a man diving into a beehive and covering himself with honey, perhaps an allusion to carnal love or to alchemic mercury. This detail is depicted in a drawing housed in the Albertina in Vienna. All around are symbols of evil, scattered in a desert and dark landscape and surrounded by a sinister vegetation. They include, at left, a column with an idolater adoring the atmospheric phenomena, skeletons, monstrous animals fighting each other and dried bush. At right are instead Jerome's traditional symbols, the red cardinal's hat and the lion, identifiable with the bony animal drinking at the pool.
The rise of imagery of Saint Jerome was significant within the Catholic art community, specifically for Dutch Catholic artists. The hermit saints are a reference to the navigation of devotion and virtue within a solitary way of life. Saint Jerome imposed a vision of philosophical devotion and intellect, Saint Jerome's studies allowed him to travel through Rome, Trier, and finally Chalcis, a desert surrounding Antioch. The studies of Saint Jerome included Greek and Hebrew and upon his return to Rome, his language efforts allowed him to adapt the Latin Gospels for Pope Damasus I. Later, Saint Jerome translated texts from the Hebrew Bible into Latin and he became recognized within Catholic communities for his scholarly efforts and thus celebrated for these efforts.
Saint Giles
The right panel shows Saint Giles, who is praying in a grotto; this houses a roll which, according to the Golden Legend, contained all the names of those to be saved thanks to his intercession. The saint has been shot by an arrow, originally destined for the fawn at his feet. The landscape, the less dark of the triptych, is dominated by a sharp rock.
Known as a “Patron of Beggars” and a “Patron Saint of Cripples”, the imagery of Saint Giles provides something of hope for miracles most notable to those in physical need. From early life, he was known for the display of his appreciation and ambition for life. Originally from Greece, his parentage may have been that of royalty. Saint Giles received a superior education in contrast to that of Saint Anthony and Saint Jerome. After the death of his parents, Saint Giles gave many of his earthly belongings to people within poor communities as a means of proving is holiness. His was famous for healing those with disabilities.
Saint Giles oratory evil Albertina cardinal's hat Pope Damasus I Judith and Holophernes Iconography missal alchemic St. Anthony the Abbot little owl unicorn left St. Anthony Christ sarcophagus Golden Legend idolater Jerome Vienna Saint Jerome mercury anchorite ergotism crucifix triptych