The Expulsion of Adam and Eve with an angel wielding a sword behind them 1591

Cherubino Alberti made this engraving of 'The Expulsion of Adam and Eve' in Rome sometime between 1570 and 1615. The print depicts a key moment from the Book of Genesis, but we should also consider it as a product of Counter-Reformation Rome. Following the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church in Rome became preoccupied with the reform of religious art. Religious subjects like Adam and Eve were to be presented in ways that clearly communicated Catholic doctrine. In Alberti’s image, we see Adam and Eve’s shame, the avenging angel, and the closed gate to Paradise. What’s interesting is how the visual language of the expulsion mixes religious instruction with classical forms. The figures are idealized according to classical canons of beauty, reminding us that the institutions of art helped to shape religious expression. To understand this moment in art history better, we can research the careers of artists who were active in Rome at the time. We can also investigate the writings of religious thinkers who were helping to define the image of the Catholic Church.