Eva reikt Adam de Appel onder de boom met de slang 1540

Heinrich Aldegrever made this small engraving, "Eva reikt Adam de Appel onder de boom met de slang", sometime in the first half of the 16th century. It depicts the moment in the Garden of Eden when Eve offers Adam the forbidden fruit. Produced in Germany, the print reflects the religious and social anxieties of the Reformation. Aldegrever was a printmaker in the circle of the "Little Masters," artists who embraced the small scale and precise detail of engraving. His Adam and Eve is more carnal than earlier Northern Renaissance versions. They are surrounded by a variety of animals, including a snake with a human head which symbolizes temptation. The act of offering the apple represents a challenge to divine authority. To understand Aldegrever's print more fully, we can consult theological texts of the period, records of social customs, and the biographies of artists within his circle. These help to contextualize the artwork and to understand the power of art to challenge existing social norms.