The Fall of Adam and Eve
1525
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
About the artist
Artist
Hans Burgkmair the Elder
Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was a German artist, born in Augsburg.
See the richer artist page1525
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Fall of Adam and Eve is a 1525 by Hans Burgkmair the Elder, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see Adam and Eve standing under palm trees, a snake coiled around a branch, and a monkey eating fruit at their feet. This version of the Garden of Eden looks like a jungle, not the usual European forest. Palm trees were symbols of virtue at the time, but here they feel out of place. The monkey mimics the humans, hinting that temptation is animal-like. Eve hands Adam the fruit, making her the one to blame. Look up *chiaroscuro* to see how other artists used light and shadow in biblical scenes.
This story of Adam and Eve occurs in a tropical location, placing the Garden of Eden closer to what viewers may have believed to be its true location. Palm trees were also associated with human virtues in devotional literature of the time. The artist’s version of the Genesis story places the blame for human transgression squarely on Eve, who appears to persuade Adam to partake of the fruit, while a monkey, a symbol of bodily pleasure, mimics the humans by bringing fruit to its mouth. Since they were often hung on walls, like paintings, prints of this size rarely survive.
In this second state of the print, Eve's nudity was covered with an olive leaf.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was a German artist, born in Augsburg.
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