Verzoeking van Adam en Eva in het paradijs 1529

Sebald Beham made this engraving of the Temptation of Adam and Eve in Paradise in 1529. The Fall is a foundational story in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and Beham renders it in stark terms. This small print reflects the social and religious upheavals of the Reformation in Germany. Beham was part of a group of artists in Nuremberg who questioned traditional religious authority. His detailed engraving style, influenced by Albrecht Dürer, was used here to question the story of Genesis. The politics of imagery were central to the Reformation: reformers broke religious icons, while those aligned with Rome defended their use. Beham's print suggests the artist’s ambiguous position, reflecting contemporary debates about human nature, free will, and the interpretation of scripture. Careful study of such prints, alongside theological debates and social histories, can help us understand the complexities of art in times of religious and social change.