Sculptors, painters, goldsmiths, clock makers and astrologers ply their trades in Florence under the influence of the planet Mercury.
Working, and eating, all went on in the street.

In the illumination to Cantiga 74, the artist is seated on a kind of step-ladder, on which pots of paint are arranged, while he paints an image of the Virgin and Child on the wall. The devil confronts him next to his mixing table. To paint the vault the painter sits on a low chair on top of a wooden scaffolding tower.

The illustrations of the verses of the canticle run from left to right and top to bottom:

• How a painter painted a very beautiful image of St. Mary and an ugly one of the devil
• How the devil appeared to the painter and threatened him for painting him so ugly
• How the painter painted an image of St. Mary on top of the vault
• How the devil destroyed the scaffold, but the painter remained suspended from the image of the Virgin
• How the people came and saw the painter suspended and the devil fleeing
• How all the people gave thanks to St. Mary for the miracle she had done

The Cantigas de Santa Maria are a collection, assembled by King Alfonso X el Sabio ('the Wise') of Spain, of some 430 songs in praise of the Virgin Mary and the miracles credited to her. They are much studied by scholars of medieval music.

A354 page 80 plate 73 reversed to match Gentile/Pisanello's workshop sketches.