Adam And Eve (Dürer)
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''Adam and Eve'' is the title of two famous works in different media by
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer ( , ;; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer or Duerer, was a German painter, Old master prin ...
, a German artist of the
Northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps, developing later than the Italian Renaissance, and in most respects only beginning in the last years of the 15th century. It took different forms in the vari ...
: an
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...
made in 1504, and a pair of
oil-on-panel A panel painting is a painting made on a flat panel of wood, either a single piece or a number of pieces joined together. Until canvas became the more popular support medium in the 16th century, panel painting was the normal method, when not pain ...
paintings completed in 1507. The 1504 engraving depicts
Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
in the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...
, surrounded by several symbolic animals. The engraving transformed how Adam and Eve were popularly depicted in art. The 1507 painting in the
Museo del Prado The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of Art of Europe, European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th ce ...
offered Dürer another opportunity to depict the ideal human figure in a different medium. Painted in Nuremberg soon after his return from Venice, the panels were influenced by Italian art. Dürer's observations on his second trip to Italy provided him with new approaches to portraying the human form. Here, he depicts the figures at human scale—the first full-scale nude subjects in German painting.


1504 engraving


Background

Dürer continually sought perfection of form in his work. He traveled to Italy to study the
Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
masters and incorporate their techniques into his art. His first visited
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
in n 1494 where he studied artists such as
Giovanni Bellini Giovanni Bellini (; c. 1430 – 29 November 1516) was an Italian Renaissance painter, probably the best known of the Bellini family of Venetian painters. He was raised in the household of Jacopo Bellini, formerly thought to have been his father, ...
(who he met),
Andrea Mantegna Andrea Mantegna (, ; ; September 13, 1506) was an Italian Renaissance painter, a student of Ancient Rome, Roman archeology, and son-in-law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with Perspective (graphical), pe ...
,
Antonio del Pollaiuolo Antonio del Pollaiuolo ( , , ; 17 January 1429/14334 February 1498), also known as Antonio di Jacopo Pollaiuolo or Antonio Pollaiuolo (also spelled Pollaiolo), was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, engraver, and goldsmith, who made ...
,
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
, and others. One work of art that particularly captured his attention was ''
The Birth of Venus ''The Birth of Venus'' ( ) is a painting by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, probably executed in the mid-1480s. It depicts the goddess Venus (mythology), Venus arriving at the shore after her birth, when she had emerged from the sea ful ...
'' (c. 1484–1486) by
Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
. In addition, he was greatly influenced by two ancient classical marble sculptures (both copied after Greek Hellenistic sculptures, now lost) that illustrate the concept of ideal male and female beauty: the ''
Apollo Belvedere The ''Apollo Belvedere'' (also called the ''Belvedere Apollo'', ''Apollo of the Belvedere'', or ''Pythian Apollo'') is a celebrated marble sculpture from classical antiquity. The work has been dated to mid-way through the 2nd century A.D. and is ...
'' (just rediscovered in the 1490s) and the ''
Medici Venus The Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a tall Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek mythology, Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It is a 1st-century BC marble copy, perhaps made in Athens, of a bronze original Greek sculpture, follo ...
,'' though Dürer likely discovered these works through second-hand sources, the Apollo for example through an engraving by Nicoletto da Modena of c.1500 or the engraving of ''Apollo and Diana'' made by
Jacopo de' Barbari Jacopo (also Iacopo) is a masculine Italian given name, derivant from Latin ''Iacōbus''. It is an Italian variant of Giacomo ( James in English). * Jacopo Aconcio (), Italian religious reformer * Jacopo Bassano (1592), Italian painter * Iac ...
around 1503 probably in Nuremberg. This image featured the intricately modeled figure of
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
in classical
contrapposto ( 'counterpoise'), in the visual arts, is a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot, so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs in the axial plane. First appearing in Ancient Greece in the early 5th ...
, inspiring Dürer's interpretation of Adam. Similarly, in Botticelli's ''The Birth of Venus'', the figure of
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
acted as a model for Dürer's later renditions of
Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...
. Raptured by newfound inspiration, Dürer returned to
Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
. In 1500 Jacopo de' Barbari came to Nuremberg to serve Maximilian I as a court painter. He introduced Dürer to the Vitruvian canon of body proportions and
linear perspective Linear or point-projection perspective () is one of two types of graphical projection perspective in the graphic arts; the other is parallel projection. Linear perspective is an approximate representation, generally on a flat surface, of ...
. But Dürer wasn't satisfied and began studies of his own, measuring countless living models (of both men and animals). He summarised his techniques in his '' Four Books on Human Proportion'', and in 1504 completed his first engraving of ''Adam and Eve'' ( burin on copperplate, 25.1 x 19.8 cm). File:Apollo Belvedere Rome. Apollo van Belvedere (titel op object) P.I.N. 6502 Roma, museo Vaticano. Apollo detto di Belvedere (scultura Greca) (titel op object), RP-F-2007-358-66.jpg, ''
Apollo Belvedere The ''Apollo Belvedere'' (also called the ''Belvedere Apollo'', ''Apollo of the Belvedere'', or ''Pythian Apollo'') is a celebrated marble sculpture from classical antiquity. The work has been dated to mid-way through the 2nd century A.D. and is ...
,''
Vatican Museum The Vatican Museums (; ) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the best-known Roman sculptures and ...
, Rome (Photograph by Alinari, c. 1900) File:Beeld van Venus, RP-F-F01184-AS.jpg, ''
Venus de' Medici The Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus is a tall Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. It is a 1st-century BC marble copy, perhaps made in Athens, of a bronze original Greek sculpture, following the type of ...
,''
Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...
, Florence (Photograph, 1865–c. 1890) File:Sandro Botticelli - La nascita di Venere - Google Art Project - edited.jpg,
Sandro Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
, ''
The Birth of Venus ''The Birth of Venus'' ( ) is a painting by the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli, probably executed in the mid-1480s. It depicts the goddess Venus (mythology), Venus arriving at the shore after her birth, when she had emerged from the sea ful ...
,'' c. 1485, Uffizi File:Jacopo de' Barbari - Una stanza con gli amanti.jpg,
Jacopo de' Barbari Jacopo (also Iacopo) is a masculine Italian given name, derivant from Latin ''Iacōbus''. It is an Italian variant of Giacomo ( James in English). * Jacopo Aconcio (), Italian religious reformer * Jacopo Bassano (1592), Italian painter * Iac ...
, ''Naked Lovers,'' reverse side of the ''Portrait of a German,'' 1500,
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin The (, Painting Gallery) is an art museum in Berlin, Germany, and the museum where the main selection of paintings belonging to the Berlin State Museums (''Staatliche Museen zu Berlin'') is displayed. It was first opened in 1830, and the cur ...
. The woman with pose and gesture comparable to Eve's.


Background and context within his œuvre

Dürer drew his first full frontal ''Female Nude'' in 1493 after a living model, and several subsequent nudes seen from the back, among them an early depiction of Adam and Eve before the Fall. Elaborated works were the drawing of the women in the ''Women's Bath'' (1496) and the engraving of '' The Four Naked Women'' (1497). These early female nudes were followed by studies of figures with constructed body proportions, even the outlines drawn with ruler and compass, first the '' Reclining Nude'' and the engraving of the ''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...
'', both from 1501. But the only figure of which the pose relates closely to the Eve is the Venus in the engraving of ''The Dream of the Doctor'' (c. 1498), a refined version of one of the ''Four Naked Women,'' the body mirrored, now in ideal with lowered shoulder over the supporting leg, the other leg free to move. As for the Adam, there are several works that followed the same antetype and were likely preparatory. The most prominent one is ''Apollo with the Solar Disc,'' one of Dürer's early male figures designed according to classical proportions, where he seemed to have copied de' Barbari freely in showing Diana from behind at Apollo's feet, who is depicted as Sol, since Diana, as a moon goddess, tries to protect herself from his light conquering the day. Dürer obviously was not satisfied, since he didn't finish the drawing. The Apollo he drew again, this time with a bow. Another closely linked study drawing is the ''Male Nude with Glass and Snake'' (also called ''
Asclepius Asclepius (; ''Asklēpiós'' ; ) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of Apollo), Coronis, or Arsinoe (Greek myth), Ars ...
'') with traces of extensive use of ruler and compass. His final interpretation of de' Barbari's rather abstract ''Apollo and Diana'' is way superior to the original, provoking an emotional impact on the beholder by having the imposing, concentrated and slightly twisted figure of Apollo occupying more than half the space with parts of his hair, his bow and arrow being cut off. Diana is also more prominent, facing the beholder while feeding a deer lying to her feet. But beside his muscularity and the finely tuned textures there is no similarity to the posture of the Adam. The Apollo has even been finished later and is an advancement compared to the Adam, harmonizing classical stature with Northern emotion. File:Albrecht Dürer - Le Rêve du docteur.jpg, ''Temptation of the Idler (The Dream of the Doctor),'' c. 1498, engraving, 18.8 × 11.9 cm (
Petit Palais The (; ) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the Exposition Universelle (1900), 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...
, Paris) File:Jacopo de' Barbari, Apollo and Diana, c. 1503, NGA 582.jpg, Jacopo de' Barbari, ''Apollo and Diana,'' c. 1503, engraving, 16 x 9.8 cm ( NGA, Washington DC) File:Albrecht Dürer - Apollo with the Solar Disc - WGA7055.jpg, ''Apollo (with the Solar Disc),'' c. 1504, pen, 28.5 × 20.2 cm,
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
, London File:Albrecht Dürer, Apollo and Diana, 1504-1505, NGA 6604.jpg, Dürer's ''Apollo and Diana,'' 1504–1505, engraving, 11,4 × 7,2 cm (NGA)


Imagery, style and technique

The
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...
captures an idealistic Adam and Eve before the
Fall of Man The fall of man, the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God in Christianity, God to a state of guilty disobedience. * * * * ...
. Adam and Eve are depicted as the ideal body shape of both man and woman respectively. This engraving was one of the first depictions of Adam and Eve that focused on human physical beauty rather than the depiction of
sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...
, causing many artists to later draw inspiration from this perspective shift. As the first man and woman sculpted by
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
, Adam and Eve serve as the perfect characters to embody the ideal human figure. Both figures are nude and posed in antique . They are shown full frontal, with their heads in profile facing each other, accentuated by a slight tilt of their bodies. Since he wanted to show these ideal specimen of men there is no overlapping of the figures and can each be seen in full view, except for their genitals, which had to be covered. Dürer, wielding an astonishing technical sophistication, uses the engraved line work to play with light and dark shadows, illuminating the pale skin and modeling the musculature of each body. The bright figures stand out in front of the dark background of the forest that (nearly) completely fills the plate, just like oil paint covers a panel all over. Dürer made separate preparatory drawings for each figure. Two trial proofs survived that he printed while he was still working on the engraving. They show his specific proceedings in both working stages. The unique trial prints reveal, besides the scrupulously incremental procedure, for example, that the cat was only added later. In the case of the drawings he first constructed a body with ruler and compass on one side of a sheet. Then he traced the outlines of the figure onto the reverse, where he modeled the actual three-dimensional body with hatchings, and washed a dark background with a brush. Contrary to the Adam, Dürer hadn't found the right pose for the Eve yet, but it seemed to be clear, that he didn't want to follow the model of the ''Venus pudica,'' which covers her breast. In a later stage two sheets with figure studies of both figures he joined with a third strip of paper, afterwards washing the background resulting in a single image. The apple Adam still holds in his hand, now corresponds with the one in Eve's hand, as if the sin was evenly shared. In the final engraving nevertheless Eve will be responsible. Adam (Reinzeichnung) by Durer (1504, Albertina).jpg, Construction drawing of Adam, 1504, pen, 26.2 x 16.6 cm,
Albertina The Albertina is a museum in the Innere Stadt (First District) of Vienna, Austria. It houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints, as well ...
, Vienna (3080r) File:Dürer, Adam (Reinzeichnung), 1504, 26,2 x 16,6 cm, Albertina 3080v.jpg, Final drawing of Adam, 1504, pen and brush for the background, 26.2 x 16.6 cm, Albertina (3080v) Dürer, Eva (Konstruktionszeichnung), Albertina (3081r).jpg, Construction drawing of Eve, c. 1506, pen, 26.2 x 16.5 cm, Albertina (3081r) Dürer, Eva (Reinzeichnung), Albertina (3081v).jpg, Final drawing of Eve, c. 1506, pen and brush, 26.2 x 16.5 cm, Albertina (3081v) File:Durer, adamo ed eva ad acquerello.jpg, Adam and Eve, pen, brown ink and white watercolor, two sheets joined with another strip, brown wash, 24.2 x 20.1 cm,
Morgan Library & Museum The Morgan Library & Museum (originally known as the Pierpont Morgan Library and colloquially known the Morgan) is a museum and research library in New York City, New York, U.S. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J. P. Morg ...
(I, 254d) File:Dürer, Adam and Eve, trial proof, 1504, Albertina (DG1930.1450).jpg, Second trial proof of the ''Adam and Eve,'' Albertina (DG1930.1450)
Adam is depicted more lean, muscular and about the height of the forehead larger than Eve, while her body is more supple and rounded. Dürer gained the "silken softness" of her skin through finer graded lines that in part "dissolve in stipples, and yadd nga third series of curves" which densifies the hatching patterns.
Erwin Panofsky Erwin Panofsky (March 30, 1892 – March 14, 1968) was a German-Jewish art historian whose work represents a high point in the modern academic study of iconography, including his hugely influential ''Renaissance and Renascences in Western Art ...
estimated "twice or three times as many lines per square inch as in earlier ngravings" This technique he had trained since around 1500 expanded the spectrum of light values on both ends and allowed even more detailed and differentiated textures.


Symbolism

Adam and Eve are shown in the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden (; ; ) or Garden of God ( and ), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28 and 31.. The location of Eden is described in the Book of Ge ...
. As the image is a depiction of humanity before the Fall, everything remains in perfect harmony. Placed directly between the pair of figures stands a
fig tree ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family (biology), family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few spe ...
, the Tree of Knowledge, but is represented here, as was usual, as a hybrid since the fruit of the tree is
apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
. Eve is offered a fruit by the snake and holds in her left hand already one tied to a broken branch with fig leaves that cover her genitals. It is a direct reference to the shame that Adam and Eve would experience after the Fall, as described in Genesis 3:7: "And the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." The
Forbidden Fruit In Abrahamic religions, forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that God commands mankind Taboo#In religion and mythology, not to eat. In the biblical story, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the know ...
in her left (sinister in Latin) hand, that she is about to share with Adam, symbolizes
evil Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others. Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...
. Adam's genitals are covered by a shoot of a
mountain ash Mountain ash may refer to: * ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia * Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus'' See also

* Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, a town ...
that frames the left side of the picture. The tree symbolizes the
Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...
. On the tree above the plaque with Dürer's autograph sits a
parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...
. Since around 1500 Dürer had an increased interest in animals and plants, of which he made many drawings and watercolors. The famous '' Great Piece of Turf'' for example, the ''
Young Hare ''Young Hare'' () is a 1502 watercolour and bodycolour painting by German artist Albrecht Dürer. Painted in 1502 in his workshop, it is acknowledged as a masterpiece of observational art alongside his '' Great Piece of Turf'' from the followin ...
,'' and the '' Wing of a Blue Roller'' are from that time, but also a drawing of a parrot, that very much resembles the one in the engraving. Parrots can symbolize different ideas, including:
wisdom Wisdom, also known as sapience, is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment, and ethics in decision-making. Throughout history, wisdom ha ...
, the Word of God,
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
, eternal life, and
paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
. But it could also refer to the
New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
. At this time, the colonization of the New World was in full swing and certain objects from the Americas came to symbolize paradise, as Europeans had come to believe paradise would be found in the Americas. Thus, certain objects that originated from the New World became common symbols of paradise in art, a possible meaning for the parrot represented here. Moreover, it is known through his diary writings that Dürer saw and even collected exotic items from the East (the Orient), as well as the Americas while on trips to both Italy and
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
. Some of these marvelous objects included a large fishbone, porcelain dishes from China, while other items like cloths (some made out of silk), feathers, an ivory salt-cellar came from "Calicut," which in the Renaissance was a catch-all term that could reference India, Africa or the Americas, indicating a geographical misunderstanding of the wider world. Around Adam and Eve lie four animals representing the four humors or temperaments. The cat symbolizes the
choleric The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types ...
humor, the rabbit the sanguine (from Latin , "of blood": vivacious) temperament, the ox
phlegmatic The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types ...
humor, while the elk represents melancholy. Although the contemporary belief was that an imbalance of bodily fluids caused undesirable humors, in Eden, everything is in perfect harmony. Visually, this is represented by the peaceful cohabitant nature of the animals: the cat is not pouncing on the mouse, the ox is sitting calmly. This representation of balanced harmony, however, would be forever destroyed once the Fall occurred. Finally, the relationship of the mouse and feline at the feet of the figures parallels that of Adam and Eve. The small plaque ( in Italian) is his first inscription in an engraving written in
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, it reads "''Albert Dürer noricvs faciebat 1504,"'' which translates to "Albrecht Dürer of Nuremberg was making his in1504." Despite Dürer's fascination with Italian art, this inscription demonstrates his pride regarding his Northern heritage, clearly identifying his hometown as the German city of Nuremberg (Noricus in Latin). Moreover, Dürer is subtly flaunting the immortality of his work since the plaque is attached to the Tree of Life. Dürer's treatment of the theme followed in 1510 with a light but intimate ink drawing, where Adam and Eve are unusually shown from behind, turned away from the viewer, embracing each other. They are depicted as lovers and about to share a fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. The figure of Eve with her crossed legs relates to the images of the Fall and the Expulsion from Paradise featured in the ''Small Passion.'' But in the Fall Eve is turned around again, while in the Expulsion the figures are in motion. The snake which the lovers ignore has a female torso instead of its head, an Italian motif.


Copies

During his lifetime, the copper engraving of ''Adam and Eve'' was printed many times, resulting in multiple extant prints in different collections. In addition, unauthorized copies of his print were made during Dürer's lifetime in
Florence, Italy Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence was a centre of medieval European t ...
, now at the
Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...
, and for example one made in
Mainz, Germany Mainz (; see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in the Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region—Germany's second-larges ...
, during the time of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
. Original prints (not seldom in several copies) are held at the Graphic Art Collection of the City of Nuremberg, the Kupferstichkabinetts in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
and
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
, the
Städel The Städel, officially the ''Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie'', is an art museum in Frankfurt, with one of the most important collections in Germany. The museum is located at the Museumsufer on the Sachsenhausen bank of t ...
Museum in Frankfurt, the
Albertina The Albertina is a museum in the Innere Stadt (First District) of Vienna, Austria. It houses one of the largest and most important print rooms in the world with approximately 65,000 drawings and approximately 1 million old master prints, as well ...
in Vienna, the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
in London, the
Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...
Amsterdam,
National Museum in Warsaw The National Museum in Warsaw (, MNW) is a national museum in Warsaw, one of the largest museums in Poland and the largest in the capital. It comprises a rich collection of ancient art ( Egyptian, Greek, Roman), counting about 11,000 pieces, an ...
, the
Israel Museum The Israel Museum (, ''Muze'on Yisrael'', ) is an Art museum, art and archaeology museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world's leading Encyclopedic museum, encyclopa ...
in Jerusalem and other institutions. In the US prints are found at the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
and
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in New York, the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...
, the
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, the
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, the
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, the
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, the
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, the
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, among others.


Oil paintings


Background and historical context

After the creation of the engraving of 1504, Dürer revisited the subject of Adam and Eve after a second visit to Italy, when he spent most of his time in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
to further study
Italian Renaissance painting Italian Renaissance painting is the painting of the period beginning in the late 13th century and flourishing from the early 15th to late 16th centuries, occurring in the Italian Peninsula, which was at that time divided into many political stat ...
s. During his two years in Venice, from 1505 until 1507, Dürer analyzed various techniques and famous works of art, developing his use of classical Italian contrapposto. Returning to Nuremberg with his newly acquired skill and knowledge, Dürer painted in 1507 what is considered to be the first life-sized nude painting in
German art German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, ''Adam and Eve'' (
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
on wood, 209 x 81 cm per panel).


Style and symbolism

Dürer believed the way to paint the ideal human form was through a precise mathematical system of proportions. In his
oil painting Oil painting is a painting method involving the procedure of painting with pigments combined with a drying oil as the Binder (material), binder. It has been the most common technique for artistic painting on canvas, wood panel, or oil on coppe ...
of ''Adam and Eve'', Dürer altered the proportions of the head to the body of Eve's figure from the 1:7.4
ratio In mathematics, a ratio () shows how many times one number contains another. For example, if there are eight oranges and six lemons in a bowl of fruit, then the ratio of oranges to lemons is eight to six (that is, 8:6, which is equivalent to the ...
of the engraving to 1:8.2. This alteration visually elongated Eve's body, providing her with a slender, weightless quality. This weightlessness was typical of
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...
figure depictions, illuminating a stylistic shift from the classical contrapposto of the engraving figures. This can further be seen in the positioning of the limbs: Eve's legs are crossed, one directly behind the other rather than the more grounded-appearing side by side stance as seen in the engraving. This new means of depicting Eve became a template for many later female nude paintings. Adam's figure, however, remains in
contrapposto ( 'counterpoise'), in the visual arts, is a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot, so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs in the axial plane. First appearing in Ancient Greece in the early 5th ...
, still reminiscent of the classical depictions of Apollo. Both figures are presented more androgynously than in the 1504 engraving, likely the result of a return to a more Gothic style. Lighting is also strategically used to emphasize the figures. Adam is bathed in warm light, contrasting Eve who is bathed in cool toned, almost slivery, light. The color palette as a whole is strategic, using subtle light and dark shadows to minimize contrast and allow the painting a subtly. This choice is in opposition to the 1504 engraving where, due to the nature of the material, everything is sharp with high contrast. In the oil painting, Adam holds a tree branch, meant to symbolize the mountain ash that symbolizes the
Tree of Life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...
just as the branch in the engraving does. Eve rests her hand above a branch where a
cartellino A ''cartellino'' (Italian for "small piece of paper"In modern Italian, ''carta'' means "paper", the diminutive ''cartello'' means "sign", and the double diminutive ''cartellino'' means "tag".) is an illusionistic portrayal of a written note inclu ...
hangs with
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
writing that reads,''"Albertus durer alemanus faciebat post virginis partum 1507,"'' (''"''Albrecht Dürer, upper German, made this 1507 years after the Virgin's offspring''.''") The painting consists of two separate rectangular panels: one of Adam and one of Eve. While the engraving of 1504 communicates the story of the Fall of Man, the oil painting is primarily focused on the individual figures of Adam and Eve, emphasized by the lack of intricate background and symbolism. The actual reason behind Dürer's choice to paint Adam and Eve separately remains unknown, however, it was one of the first works of art to create a division of the subjects, an artistic choice that many later artists copied.


Restoration

The oil painting of 1507 were completed on wooden panels. Wood and paint have complex aging processes, leading to difficulty in both
conservation and restoration The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property, cultural property (tangible cultural heritage), including Collection (artwork), artworks, Architectural conservation, architecture, archae ...
. Over time, multiple attempts at restoration led to the addition of layers of new paint and oxidized
varnish Varnish is a clear Transparency (optics), transparent hard protective coating or film. It is not to be confused with wood stain. It usually has a yellowish shade due to the manufacturing process and materials used, but it may also be pigmente ...
, which in turn distorted the original image. Moreover, the back of the wooden panels had been reinforced in an attempt to prevent warping of wood. Unfortunately, these reinforcements ultimately had the opposite effect, distorting the panels further. The Met and the
Museo del Prado The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of Art of Europe, European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th ce ...
collaborated to restore the painting to its original condition in 2020. Removing the back support panels, smoothing the wood, removing oxidized varnish, and finally taking off additional attempts at restorative painting touch-ups, the painting was returned to what is believed to be its original state. Due to the oxidized varnish, the image previously had an overall green hue. Now, that green hue is gone and the colors are as Dürer painted them.


Provenance

There is no extant archival documents that shed light on the original patron of Dürer's series. Scholars suggest that they may have been commissioned for the Town Hall in
Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
, Dürer's hometown, as they were installed there at the end of the sixteenth century. In turn, the Nuremberg City Council gifted them to
Emperor Rudolph II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the Ho ...
who displayed them in his new gallery room at
Prague Castle Prague Castle (; ) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for List of rulers ...
. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
when the Sweeds stormed Nuremberg in 1648 during the Battle of Prague their armies plundered the castle and moved the panels to
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
where they entered the collection of
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (9 December ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 19 December15946 November ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 16 November1632), also known in English as Gustav II Adolf or Gustav II Adolph, was King of Sweden from 1611 t ...
. His daughter,
Christina of Sweden Christina (; 18 December ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. 8 December1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Monarchy of Sweden, Queen of Sweden from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. Her conversion to Catholicism and ...
, gave the work to
Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...
in 1654, after her
abdication Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the Order of succession, succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of ...
. The works moved next to
The Royal Palace of Madrid ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
, but were considered "nudes" so were relocated and displayed in a separate room known as the "Vaults of Titian." This vault survived the fire in 1734 that destroyed much of the palace and its art. The paintings were then transported to the
Buen Retiro palace Buen Retiro Palace (Spanish: ''Palacio del Buen Retiro'') in Madrid was a large palace complex designed by the architect (c. 1590–1660) and built on the orders of Philip IV of Spain as a secondary residence and place of recreation (hence its ...
. In 1762, if not for the persuasion of
Anton Raphael Mengs Anton Raphael Mengs (12 March 1728 – 29 June 1779) was a German Neoclassicism, Neoclassical painter. Early life Mengs was born on 12 March 1728, at Ústí nad Labem in the Kingdom of Bohemia, the son of Ismael Mengs, a Danish-born painter wh ...
, King Charles III of Spain's court painter, they would have been destroyed as they viewed the nudity as "indecent". Mengs convinced the king that the panels were artistically important. About ten years later, the paintings were moved to the Academia de San Fernando for storage. The remained stored there for several decades until exhibited at the Sala de Juntas between 1809 and 1818, during the rule of
Jose Bonaparte Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods *Jose ben Abin *Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean *Jose ben Halafta *Jo ...
. In 1827, the two panels were moved to their current location, the
Museo del Prado The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of Art of Europe, European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th ce ...
in Madrid, where they remained out of public view because of their nudity until 1838, when they finally were displayed to the public.


References


External links


The 1504 print
at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Adam panel
at the Museo del Prado
The Eve panel
at the Museo del Prado {{DEFAULTSORT:Adam and Eve Paintings by Albrecht Dürer 1507 paintings Diptychs Paintings in the Museo del Prado by German artists Paintings of Adam and Eve Nude paintings of men Nude paintings of women category:Nude prints Snakes in art Paintings of fruit