Temptation of Christ Notecard

A richly illustrated scene, this notecard is a detail of a juxtaposing image to Psalm 38. This group of psalms are recited on Tuesdays at Matins.

In the so-called Psalter-Hours of Yolande de Soissons in the Morgan's collection, David points to his mouth, reflecting the psalm's opening verse, "I said, I will take heed to my ways: that I sin not with my tongue." Juxtaposing the David cycle in the initials with Christ's Temptations in the miniatures put a particular lens on the psalms, one reflecting the medieval preoccupation with sin. The repeated recitation of the psalms was, for Medieval Christians, a way both of warding off sin and doing penance for it. Christ, the ultimate role model, successfully resisted the devil's promptings, while less resolute David sinned, but ultimately repented for adultery and murder. Both figures act as exempla for the book's users who, while reading the psalms, could gain moral guidance from their imagery.

This product was created to accompany the exhibition Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life on view at the Morgan Library & Museum September 12, 2025 through January 4, 2026.