Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Adam and Eve

Set of two works, gouttelette/paper, each 108 x 41 cm.

Set of two works, gouttelette/paper, each 108 x 41 cm framed, Publisher - Felix Rosenstiel's Widow & Son. Dry stamp on each work l.d.

The two "Adam and Eve" panels were created in 1507 and are now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Each panel is about 209 cm high and 81 cm wide, making the figures depicted life-size. They were among the first life-size nudes in German painting.

The figures feature classical proportions inspired by ancient sculptures, reflecting Dürer's interest in humanistic ideals of beauty. Adam resembles Apollo of Belvedere, while Eve resembles Venus. Adam is depicted standing frontally, with his body weight resting on one leg (counterpoint). His genitals are covered by a branch, symbolizing the Tree of Life. Eve is also standing frontally, in a similar contraposto pose. In one hand she holds a fig branch , symbolizing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Serpent hands her the forbidden fruit, and she accepts it without even looking toward the Serpent.

The work is rich in symbolic elements related to original sin: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil-around the trunk of the tree is wrapped a snake, holding the fruit in its mouth. Eve reaches out her hand to take it, while Adam stands nearby, seemingly oblivious.

Indeed, on the branch held by Eve in the 1507 painting hangs a plaque bearing Albrecht Dürer's signature and the date "1507." This is an important element of these paintings, characteristic of many of Dürer's works. Placing the signature in such a prominent place emphasized his status as an artist and his self-awareness.
The oil paintings "Adam" and "Eve" of 1507 are monumental and significant works by Albrecht Dürer, demonstrating his mastery of painting, his interest in the theory of proportion and his interpretation of the biblical motif of original sin influenced by the Italian Renaissance. Dürer's work was very often copied and imitated, demonstrating its immense popularity and importance to artists and audiences of the time. It was considered a model representation of the biblical couple and proof of the artist's mastery in rendering ideal proportions and the idealized depiction of the human body became an important reference point in the history of art.


The paintings belonged to Queen Christina of Sweden, who gave them to King Philip IV of Spain. They came to the Prado in 1827.