| Adam and Eve | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Artist | Albrecht Dürer |
| Year | 1507 |
| Medium | Oil on panel |
| Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
| Dimensions | Each panel: 82.3 in × 31.7 in |
| 209 cm × 81/80 cm | |
| Famous Paintings by Albrecht Dürer | |
| Young Hare | |
| Rhinoceros | |
| Adam and Eve | |
| Praying Hands | |
| Knight, Death and the Devil | |
| Apocalypse | |
| Self-Portrait of Albrecht Dürer | |
| Melencolia I | |
| Adoration of the Trinity |
Biblical themes were common for Renaissance artists, but in the hands of one the era’s most brilliant painters, the subject matter gained greater heights and significance. Adam and Eve by German painter Albrecht Dürer is a masterpiece for the ages. It survives today, 500 years later, as among the most magnificent creations of its kind.
Dürer’s Adam and Eve is actually two paintings depicting nude life size figures of each. The works were completed in 1507 and show the influence of Italian styles.
Dürer completed these works shortly after returning to Germany from Italy.
Both figures are tall, lithe, muscular and set mostly against a plain dark background. Dürer did not include a lot of detailed surroundings because he did not want the environment of Eden to detract from the focus on his central subjects. Eve, however, is positioned near a tree and grasping an apple above which the famous Satanic serpent is seen curled around a branch. Both figures demurely hold branches with leaf to cover their personal areas.
Adam and Eve by Dürer is currently on display at the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.