The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

The Temptation of Christ

The Temptation of Christ

1400s
(German)
Germany, 15th century
engraving
Sheet: 22.8 x 16.8 cm (9 x 6 5/8 in.); Mat Size: 48.7 x 36.2 cm (19 3/16 x 14 1/4 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1954.743
Catalogue raisonné: Lehrs VI.326.2
Location: not on view

Description

Following his baptism, Christ fasted in the wilderness for 40 days, after which he was tempted three times by the devil. In this scene, the devil points to some stones. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread,” the devil taunts. Satan is depicted in a loathsome manner with horns, a scaly body, and wings and claws for hands and feet. Because the desert was the traditional home of demons, temptation in one form or another lay in wait for those who ventured there, as seen here and in the depictions of Saint Anthony of Egypt nearby.
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    Mikolic, Amanda. he Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 643 archive.org
  • Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 7-October 6, 2019).
    Sacred and Profane in Late Gothic Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 2-August 2, 1987).
    Department of Prints and Drawings Opening Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (March 3, 1958-October 11, 1959).
    Prints 1400-1800. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (December 18, 1956-January 20, 1957); The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL (February 1-March 3, 1957); Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN (November 1-December 1, 1957).
  • {{cite web|title=The Temptation of Christ|url=false|author=Master L Cz|year=1400s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1954.743