Garden of Eden

About this work

This print shows a busy scene inside a walled garden. On the left, two robed figures stand near pillars. In the center, a shirtless man pulls a branch from a twisted tree, while a woman and a small animal hide nearby. At the bottom, a pile of bones lies on the ground. The tree’s tangled branches and the mix of human and animal figures suggest a story about choices and consequences. The border frames the scene with two more standing figures, adding to the sense of a carefully staged allegory. Next, check out etching to see how artists like Hollar carved lines into metal plates to create prints.