The First Temptation of Christ

A large portion of the Getty's Mirror of History is devoted to the life of Christ. This miniature shows the devil, here portrayed with horns and a bird's feet, hoping to test Christ's faith after his fast of forty days and forty nights. With a rock in his hand, the devil tries to tempt Jesus to use his miraculous powers to change the rock into bread.

The miniature is painted in a technique known as semi-grisaille, where the figures are painted in shades of gray and the landscape is in full color. This contrasting treatment emphasizes the fully three-dimensional shapes of Christ and the devil.