The Expulsion from Paradise, from "The Small Passion"
Original title: The Expulsion from Paradise, from "The Small Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Adam and Eve leave Paradise in this woodcut by Albrecht Dürer from 1510. The print belongs to the 'Little Passion' series. An angel with a raised sword stands beside the couple, who turn back for a final look.
Description
Crouching on the ground, Adam reaches out as Eve takes his hand. Above them hovers a winged angel holding a sword. Behind the figures, a tree with branches and fruit rises; one forbidden fruit below alludes to the Fall. Detailed lines and shading define the traditional woodcut style. In the upper right, the year 1510 is engraved.
Context
Between 1509 and 1511, Dürer created the 'Little Passion,' a cycle of 37 woodcuts intended as devotional images for a broad audience. In 1511, he published the series together with Latin verses by Benedictus Chelidonius. The medium of woodcut allowed for large editions and wide distribution.
Impact
The delicate linework lends a calm, almost elegiac mood to the dramatic subject. The postures of Adam and Eve appear vulnerable, emphasizing the human tragedy of the expulsion.
Technique
This sheet is a woodcut impression on paper, its lines and cross-hatchings carrying the printing ink that models light and shadow across the figures and background tree. The rendering of garments and wood grain shows how the technique structures surface texture, while the sheet's preservation keeps the 1510 date legible in the upper right corner.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)