The Bible In Paintings 33: SATAN REALLY, REALLY, REALLY TEMPTS JESUS

Fine Art America ^ | c.2,200 BC - c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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S A T A N


T E M P T S


J E S U S

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2 6
A. D.
Bible Timeline

Resources to CLICK:
To read LUKE 4 in full
To hear MAX McLEAN reading it
To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
To see an ANIMATION of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John

Harmony of the Gospels

Mt4 + Mk1 + Lk4

New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible


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MATTHEW Ch. 4 1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

MARK Ch. 1 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

LUKE Ch. 4 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GEORG CORNICELIUS
"Christ Tempted by Satan"

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2 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM BRASSEY HOLE
"Forty Days in the Wilderness"

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by HAROLD COPPING
"The Temptation of Christ"

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4 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by IVAN KRAMSKOY, 1872
"Christ in the Wilderness"

5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BRITON RIVIERE
"Christ in the Wilderness"

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PAUL BRILL
"Christ Tempted In The Wilderness"

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JOOS DE MOMPER The Younger
"The Temptation of Christ"

9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAN BRUEGHEL
"Temptation of Christ"

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PHILIPS AUGUSTIJN IMMENRAET
"Temptation of Christ"

“If you are the Son of God,
tell this stone to become bread.”

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by TITIAN
"The Temptation of Christ"

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GANESH KELAGINA BEEDU SHENOY
"Devil Tempting Jesus"

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
"Jesus Tempted in the Wilderness"

14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JUAN-DE-FLANDES
"Temptation of Christ"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SIMON BENING
"The Temptation of Christ"

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PETER PAUL RUBENS, 1620
"Temptation of Christ"

17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BOTTICELLI
"Temptation of Christ"

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SALVATOR ROSA
"The Temptation of Christ"

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by WILLIAM BLAKE
"Christ Tempted by Satan to Turn the Stones to Bread"

“If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by HANS THOMA
"The Temptation of Christ"

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by GUSTAVE DORÉ
"The Temptation of Jesus"

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by LUDWIG FERDINAND SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD
"The Temptation of Christ"

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23 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PHILIPS AUGUSTIJN IMMENRAET
"Temptation of Christ"

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24 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FÉLIX JOSEPH BARRIAS, 1860
"The Temptation of Christ by the Devil"

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25 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

26 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ARY SCHEFFER, 1854
"Temptation of Christ"

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27 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by DUCCIO DI BUONINSEGNA, 1311
"The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain"

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28 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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29 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

“If you are the Son of God,” he said,
“throw yourself down from here.”

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30 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SIMEON SOLOMON
"Thou Shalt Not Tempt"

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31 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BOTICELLI
"Temptation of Christ"

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32 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
"The Temptation of Jesus"

“Away from me, Satan!”

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33 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by CARL BLOCH
"Christ Rebuking Satan"

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34 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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35 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BOTICELLI
"Temptation of Christ"

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36 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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37 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
"Christ's Temptation"
Mosaic in Monreale Cathedral, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

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38 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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39 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JOHN RITTO PENNIMAN
"Christ Tempted by the Devil"

→ a n d... f i n a l l y ←

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40 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAMES TISSOT
"Jesus Ministered to by Angels"

[Red Badger]

I’ve often wondered just what powers do angels really have?

They may not be as powerful as we think...............

[Hebrews 11:6]

For an excellent answer, please see Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men, by Christian evangelist and astrophysicist Hugh Ross--one of his twenty books demonstrating the scientific reliability of the Bible and the Christian faith.

[Albion Wilde]

Thank you for posting also the alternate version. Whole additional context!

[Albion Wilde]

To me, the painting with the halo seems like the one that came second, because the face is so compelling that people would have wanted to isolate that portrait away from the story of the temptation.

I found this even less cropped version, which makes it more clear that Satan is offering to make Jesus a king.

And then I found a Zazzle page where a graphic designer sells stationery, greeting cards and prints copied from fine art works. I don't think he altered the original, since he included these somewhat confusing notes about two versions:

Jesus Christ 1888 by Georg Karl Franz Cornicelius,
Berlin, Germany.

Original lost or destroyed in the WWII bombing of the Berlin National Gallery.

Original was Temptation of Christ by Satan. Apparently, wrongly attributed to El Greco, Ivan Kramskoy, Rembrandt, or Karl Bryullov.

Original possibly taken by Allies after WW II, but unknown location, yet prints of it survive...

Another version of this painting was done by a contemporary of Kramskoi ... the Hanau German artist Georg Cornicelius 28 Aug 1825 - 9 Dec 1898 ... in 1888 ... instead of the halo and blended background he painted Satan tempting Christ with a crown behind Christ and called the painting Christ Tempted by Satan signed G. Cornicelius in lower left corner below the elbow.

...the original work of both these (?) was believed lost during World War II.

[Albion Wilde]

#26 by ARY SCHEFFER, 1854 This one is probably the most accurate. Lucifer was an angel before his fall and was not a horned devil as is usually depicted.....................

Excellent commentary!

[Hebrews 11:6]

All this is wonderful. It seems clear either that the devil and crown were added later or, more likely, were removed while retaining the title. I did not have the full version, only the one I posted, which had no visible connection to today's story, but did have the title.

I found it stunning, absolutely riveting, even chilling. So, I cheated.

I had sorted the images into five categories:
1. Jesus alone
2. Jesus with Satan, unspecifically
3. The three temptations
4. Jesus ejecting Satan
5. Denoument, angels ministering

So, I posted it as the lead-in to Jesus' solitary images, and I remain happy with that decision. Indeed, had I had both versions, I would have done the same, while placing the full version appropriately in category 3.

[etabeta]

Thanks, Albion, for the additional info. I am aware of the controversy (and confusion). I wonder if the originals were really lost during WW2 or are hanging in someone’s home. So much art disappeared during the war.

[Albion Wilde]

I don’t think any of us were questoning your choice. Just digging a little deeper on a powerful image.

[Albion Wilde]

I had heard a story about the Louvre, that when bombing became a possibility, the art was distributed to private citizens, and after the war, all of it was returned. While “all” seems unlikely, “most” seems possible. Perhaps France differed from Germany in this regard, since Germany was having essentially a civil war after their defeat in WWII.

[Hebrews 11:6]

I knew that, but with your expressed interest in it, I thought you might be curious about its placement.

[etabeta]

Germany was different. Hundred of thousands works of art were stolen just from Jewish homes, 100,000 still missing today. I read a couple of books on the subject, the hunt to find these pieces of art is fascinating.

[Albion Wilde]

hundred of thousands works of art were stolen just from Jewish homes, 100,000 still missing today.

It was tragic on just about every level. The topic appears frequently around here related to a certain international financier's teenage employment—confiscating valuables from his fellow Jews on behalf of the Nazis. And there are a number of recent films about the art thefts:

Woman in Gold
Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.

The Art Dealer (L'Antiquaire)
A young woman is searching, today, in Paris, for the collection of paintings stolen from her Jewish family during WWII.

The Monuments Men
An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.

The Last Vermeer
An artist is suspected of selling a valuable painting to the Nazis, but there is more to the story than meets the eye.

The Liberators
A new documentary, “The Liberators,” is the story of a U.S. soldier who stole priceless art from a site in Germany and kept it with him in Texas until he died 35 years later. (Not the Disney film by the same name.)

Websites to Help Find Art Stolen by Nazis
The portal links researchers to archival materials consisting of descriptions of records and, in many cases, digital images of the records that relate to cultural property that was stolen, looted, seized, forcibly sold, or otherwise lost during the Nazi-era.

[Albion Wilde]

One additional thought: the art stolen from Jews was less likely to have depicted Christian themes, unless the owner was an art dealer; although certainly there were Jewish or Old Testament themes in art. Poland was probably a hot spot for Christian art.

Marc Chagall's Wikipedia page discusses the Nazi confiscations and the fate of many Jewish artists in National Socialist-dominated Europe. (It's also worth noting if you go to that link the works of art Chagall created for Christian churches.)

[etabeta]

Yes, Chagall made windows for both synagogues and churches around Europe. His goal was to spread a universal message of peace, love and tolerance using both Jewish and christian themes. The dreamlike quality, the colors, make these stunning windows absolutely fantastic. I prefer them to his paintings, I need to study him more to understand his style.
Thank you also for the links in your above post, I will check them out. I have The Monument Men.

[etabeta]

[Forgiven_Sinner]

I got some eerie feelings seeing these pictures. On my trip to the Holy Land, I’d been in the cave of Temptation, and it looked as it was depicted in #13 by Tissot.

Then we go to the temptation on the pinnacle of the temple, which is the southeast corner of the Temple Mount, overlooking the Kidron valley, and the memory came back to me looking at Tissot’s rendition in #32. The bridge to the Temple Mount is historically accurate; I’ve seen reconstructions.

I think Tissot’s Satan is the creepiest too.

[Hebrews 11:6]

As I read your comment twice extolling Tissot’s accuracy, immediately I thought how he, like you, had first-hand experience from his own sojourn there, which explains his faithfulness to the original.

Then, I reached your final paragraph, and Jeff, I’m very, very glad you chose the adjective you did in describing his portrayal of Satan, rather than adding this as yet a third accolade for authenticity—because how would you, and he, know?