Adam og Eva fristes af slangen 1903

Joakim Skovgaard made this tiny etching of Adam and Eve being tempted by the snake sometime around 1903. You can imagine him hunched over a plate, scratching away with his needle, creating this whole world with just lines. I wonder what Skovgaard was thinking about while making this? Was he interested in the religious aspect, or more in the human drama? Look at how he's used a network of fine lines to create the figures and landscape, almost like he’s building the image out of pure thought. The lines are so alive, vibrating with energy. The bodies have this soft, vulnerable quality which creates a feeling of intimacy. I think Skovgaard is in conversation with other artists, like Dürer, but with a distinctly modern feel. There is an ongoing exchange of ideas, constantly inspiring one another. What I love about this is how something so small can contain such a big story and such complex feelings. It's about the human condition and the beauty and terror of free will.