Dürer's Adam And Eve
For five centuries, Albrecht Dürer has been recognised as one of the greatest artists of his time and far beyond.
To this day, he epitomises the Renaissance north of the Alps, which he celebrates as the "revival of art".
Museo del Prado,
Madrid
Dürer made these panels upon returning from his second trip to Italy in 1505. Both works constitute an effort to synthesize what he had learned there, in search of a balance between Italian and Germanic approaches that would permit the ideal perfection of the human body.
Museo del Prado,
Madrid
Dürer made these panels upon returning from his second trip to Italy in 1505. Both works constitute an effort to synthesize what he had learned there, in search of a balance between Italian and Germanic approaches that would permit the ideal perfection of the human body.
HIS VOCATION
Ideal Human Form
Adam and Eve
Throughout his life, Dürer was in thrall to the idea that the perfect human form corresponded to a system of proportion and measurements and could be generated by using such a system. Near the end of his life, he wrote several books codifying his theories, including the Underweysung der Messung (Manual of measurement), published in 1525, and Vier Bücher von menschlichen Proportion (Four books of human proportion), published in 1528 just after his death. Dürer's fascination with ideal form is manifest in Adam and Eve. ↗ metmuseum.org
Adam
And Eve
The picture above shows the painting by Albrecht Dürer entitled Adam and Eve; after restoration. Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. Dürer created this panel and its counterpart, Eve (P02178), after returning from his second trip to Italy in 1505. Both works represent an attempt to summarise what he had learned there, in search of a balance between Italian and Germanic approaches that would allow the ideal perfection of the human body. The choice of a biblical theme is therefore only a pretext here. Dürer's knowledge of the classical nude is enormous, while the precision of his lines reveals the hand of a unique engraver rooted in the Nordic tradition. The growing Italian influence is visible in the monumental scale of his figures, while his Germanic orientation is evident in the colours, the precise details and a naturalistic taste that is inherently expressionistic. All this is further enlivened by his brilliant draughtsmanship. This was a gift from Queen Christine of Sweden to Felipe IV.
The self-portraits of the painter and graphic artist Albrecht Dürer are among the most famous self-portraits in art history. On the one hand, the works show Dürer's self-confidence as an artist and also his great talent for reproducing individual physiognomies. The choice of picture details and his poses are elements that he quite obviously borrowed from Venetian painting. However, the fact that he refrained from idealising himself in the elaboration of his appearance illustrates his northern Alpine roots.
Cultural Heritage
with a historical background
CONT@CT
About Dürer
Self-Portraits
Britannica.com
There are around 15,000 drawings in the Morgan, but this drawing by Dürer, Adam and Eve, is probably the most famous of them all. Dürer was one of the great artists of the European tradition, and this sheet is the most complete study for his revered 1504 engraving of Adam and Eve, which you can also see here. The subject is taken from the biblical book of Genesis and depicts the moment of temptation when Adam and Eve are confronted with the possibility of eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
Britannica
Britannica.com
This story was popular in the Renaissance because it not only depicts the Fall of Man, but also the moment of free will. It has been observed that the figure of Adam is based on the Apollo Belvedere, an ancient sculpture that was excavated in Rome just a few years before the drawing was created. In addition, the figure of Eve resembles ancient Venus sculptures. Considering all this, the specified interest in man and free will, the reference to ideal bodies and ancient sculptures, I (John Marchari) have often said of this work that it summarises the entire Renaissance in a single sheet of paper.
Britannica.com
But that's not really true. It's a perfect work of Renaissance art, but it's not a single sheet of paper. That's part of the beauty of looking closely at works here at the Morgan, that you can scrutinise them as closely as you can when you're looking at a drawing in person. At our Thaw Conservation Centre, we discovered amazing things about the print. We had previously assumed that it was a single drawing that Dürer had cut into pieces and reassembled, tracing the outlines of the figures, moving them closer together and using the dark brown wash to unify the composition.
Britannica
Britannica.com
We have learnt that they could never have been on a single sheet of paper. What I mean is this: When paper is made by hand, the two sides have a different structure. And under zoom, we realise that one of these figures is on the front of a sheet and the other on the back. So this is not a drawing that has been cut apart and put back together, but two separate figures that Dürer put together to construct the scene as he thought his way through the print. While it's fantastic to discover things.
Britannica.com
It is interesting to see what Dürer did with the two figures. In the drawing, they are both holding a piece of fruit. Adam has an apple in his right hand and Eve is carrying one behind her. In the print, only Eve is carrying the fruit, and the snake gives her a second piece. This completely changes the narrative. It makes Eve much more guilty. In the drawing, the two stand at the same height and look into each other's eyes, and Eve's open hand suggests that they are talking about what they are going to do next. In the final print, however, Eva has moved lower on the page. Adam looks down at her.
Britannica
But I shall let the little I have learnt go forth into the day in order that someone better than I may guess the truth, and in his work may prove and rebuke my error. At this I shall rejoice that I was yet a means whereby this truth has come to light. (Albrecht Dürer)
His efforts culminated in the engraving Adam and Eve
Rational notions of proportion and measurement
Rational notions of proportion and measurement
Mastering the classical depiction of the human figure
Renaissance artist
The greatest German
Basing Ideal Bodies
Basing Ideal Bodies
Renaissance Artist
The Greatest German
Adam
And Eve
1507
del Prado
Madrid, Spain
Painting
Adam
And Eve
1507
del Prado
Madrid, Spain
Painting
Adam
And Eve
1504
The fall of man
Copper Plate
Engraving
Adam
And Eve
1504
The fall of man
Copper Plate
Engraving
Adam
And Eve
1504
Albertina
Vienna
Pencil, brush
Adam
And Eve
ca. 1504
Sketch
Drawing
Print Study
Adam
And Eve
1504
Drawing
Ink
Pencil
Adam
And Eve
1504
Drawing
Ink
Pencil
Adam
And Eve
1504
Albertina
Vienna
Pencil, brush
Talk To
John Marchari
Albrecht Dürer's engraving Adam and Eve is one of the most celebrated of the artist's career. It complements the Morgan's drawing of Adam and Eve by Dürer. Below are several excerpts from an interview with John Marchari, Head of the Department of Drawings and Prints and the Charles W. Engelhard Curator of Drawings and Prints at the Morgan. The entire video can be found at the following Internet address: ↗ themorgan.org
Britannica.com
In the final print (see below), of course, we have not just the two figures, but they‘re placed into a narrative setting. And recalling that interest of Renaissance Humanism in the psychology of a scene and the humanity of a scene, it’s interesting to see what Dürer has done with the two figures. There are some distinct changes. For example, in the drawing they both hold fruit. Adam has an apple in the right hand and Eve carries one behind her. But in the print, only Eve bears the fruit and a second piece of fruit is placed in her hand by the serpent. This changes the narrative entirely. It makes Eve much more culpable. In the drawing, they stand on the same level and they literally look eye to eye and Eve’s open handed gesture makes it seem as thought they‘ re conversing about what they will do next. In the final print, however, Eve has been moved lower on the sheet. They literally no longer look eye to eye and Adam gazes down at her.
Britannica.com
The subject is taken from the biblical book of Genesis and it represents the moment of temptation when Adam and Eve are confronted with the possibility of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. It’s a story that was much loved by the Renaissance, because it represents not only humanity’s fall, but also the moment of free will where Adam and Eve get to choose. It is also been observed many times that the figure of Adam is based on the Apollo Belvedere, an ancient sculpture unearthed in Rome only a few years before the drawing was made.
Britannica.com
This story was popular in the Renaissance because it not only depicts the Fall of Man, but also the moment of free will. It has been observed that the figure of Adam is based on the Apollo Belvedere, an ancient sculpture that was excavated in Rome just a few years before the drawing was created. In addition, the figure of Eve resembles ancient Venus sculptures. Considering all this, the specified interest in man and free will, the reference to ideal bodies and ancient sculptures, I (John Marchari) have often said of this work that it summarises the entire Renaissance in a single sheet of paper.
Britannica.com
It is interesting to see what Dürer did with the two figures. In the drawing, they are both holding a piece of fruit. Adam has an apple in his right hand and Eve is carrying one behind her. In the print, only Eve is carrying the fruit, and the snake gives her a second piece. This completely changes the narrative. It makes Eve much more guilty. In the drawing, the two stand at the same height and look into each other's eyes, and Eve's open hand suggests that they are talking about what they are going to do next. In the final print, however, Eva has moved lower on the page. Adam looks down at her.
Britannica
Britannica.com
We have learnt that they could never have been on a single sheet of paper. What I mean is this: When paper is made by hand, the two sides have a different structure. And under zoom, we realise that one of these figures is on the front of a sheet and the other on the back. So this is not a drawing that has been cut apart and put back together, but two separate figures that Dürer put together to construct the scene as he thought his way through the print. While it's fantastic to discover things.
Britannica.com
There are around 15,000 drawings in the Morgan, but this drawing by Dürer, Adam and Eve, is probably the most famous of them all. Dürer was one of the great artists of the European tradition, and this sheet is the most complete study for his revered 1504 engraving of Adam and Eve, which you can also see here. The subject is taken from the biblical book of Genesis and depicts the moment of temptation when Adam and Eve are confronted with the possibility of eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
Britannica
Britannica.com
But that's not really true. It's a perfect work of Renaissance art, but it's not a single sheet of paper. That's part of the beauty of looking closely at works here at the Morgan, that you can scrutinise them as closely as you can when you're looking at a drawing in person. At our Thaw Conservation Centre, we discovered amazing things about the print. We had previously assumed that it was a single drawing that Dürer had cut into pieces and reassembled, tracing the outlines of the figures, moving them closer together and using the dark brown wash to unify the composition.
Britannica