For Catholics throughout the world today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a 40 day period of penance and abstinence in preparation for the celebration of Holy Week and Easter. The 40 days is a reminder of the period that Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by the Devil at the beginning of his ministry.
In this rare portrayal of the temptations of Christ, made by Juan de Flandes for Queen Isabel of Castile, we see the devil portrayed as monk with a long, pointed beard and two sharp, bone-white horns curving back from the top of his head and a claw-like, webbed foot protruding from under the hem of his long robe. He has a prominent, hooked nose, sunken eyes, and appears to be clutching in one the rosary beads hanging from his waist, while in the other he holds a round, loaf-sized stone in an effort to tempt Jesus to break his fast.
A steep, rocky cliff rises at the left of panel, where two strokes of light blue and pale beige suggest two people standing atop the cliff, as the Devil offers Jesus earthly power. Beyond, a city with tan-colored stone buildings and blue mountains are hazy in the distance. Atop a tower in the city, the pair of men appear again, with the Devil gesturing down at the Temple as he urges Jesus to show his power by destroying and rebuilding the holy place.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and fruitful Lent!
The Arts of Golden Age Spain and the Hispanic World 