Adam and Eve with apple and serpent, from "The Passion of Christ"
Original title: Adam and Eve with apple and serpent, from "The Passion of Christ", after Dürer
kurzbeschreibung
This engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi was made between about 1500 and 1534 and depicts Adam and Eve in Paradise. It belongs to the series 'The Passion of Christ' and is based on a model by Albrecht Dürer. The sheet measures 13.2 × 10.1 cm and survives as the third of three states.
Description
Adam and Eve occupy the middle of the image: Adam with stubble and barefoot, Eve with long hair, her arm around Adam. Their gaze is fixed on a dragon hanging from a tree, its sharp tongue snapping at a fruit. Behind the figures stand more trees with fruit. At their feet, a fox and another animal move across the ground.
Context
Raimondi made this print after a drawing or print by Albrecht Dürer—a typical approach for him, as he often reproduced works by other artists. The series 'The Passion of Christ' was produced in Italy in the first half of the 16th century. Raimondi played a central role in spreading Dürer's compositions in southern Europe.
Impact
Precise linework and delicate shading give the figures physical presence. The calm, symmetrical arrangement and the accurate rendering of nature create a contemplative mood that vividly captures the moment before the Fall.
Technique
As an engraving, the motif was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then printed. Raimondi used fine, parallel hatching to bring out light and shadow. The print is monochrome and shows even illumination, as is characteristic of Renaissance printmaking.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)