Illustration til Johannes Ewald "Adam og Eva". IV 1779 - 1780

This engraving by J.F. Clemens illustrates a scene from Johannes Ewald’s "Adam og Eva." We observe Adam succumbing to temptation, an apple in hand, as Eve looks on, the serpent coiled around the tree above them. The serpent, a potent symbol, winds its way through art history. From ancient Near Eastern iconography as a symbol of chaos and primordial power, to the Gnostic Ouroboros representing cyclical renewal. Here, its guise is that of deception, tempting humankind towards knowledge and, consequently, expulsion. The apple itself has become synonymous with temptation, a symbol that carries the weight of sin and awareness. The narrative is not linear; it echoes through time, reappearing in different guises, reminding us of the complexities of human choice and the eternal struggle between innocence and knowledge. This scene resonates with an emotional intensity, a poignant moment of transgression that continues to haunt the collective psyche.