Isaac Oliver was born in Rouen, the son of a Huguenot goldsmith who settled in London in 1568. He studied with Nicholas Hilliard, and is also said to have been taught by Federico Zuccaro during the latter's visit to England. He visited Venice in the mid-1590s and in 1604 he became painter to Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I. Oliver’s figure style and strong tonal values were primarily derived from Dutch Mannerists such as Joachim Wtewael (1566-1638) and Abraham Bloemart (1564-1651), through their prints and perhaps through a trip to the Netherlands, although in his later work a Venetian influence is evident.
Primarily known as a portrait miniaturist, Oliver also made a small number of pen and ink drawings, often of Biblical subjects such as this one. Here, Saint Anthony is seen reattaching the foot of a young man who had cut it off in rage having injured his mother with it.