Forskellige udkast sml. relief " Adam og Eva" 1838 og "Atalante" relief: Villa Torlonia 1837. 1737 - 1837

Bertel Thorvaldsen rendered these sketches for reliefs, “Adam and Eve” and “Atalante” around the 1830s with pen and brown ink. Observe, if you will, how Thorvaldsen intertwines Christian and Classical myths, revealing a profound connection between the human and the divine. Adam and Eve, post-lapsarian, embody the emotional weight of their transgression. This scene is echoed in the Atalante myth, symbolized by the golden apples. The apple motif, a signifier of temptation and moral choice, traverses time, reappearing from the Garden of Eden to the Greek myths. Note how this fruit is rendered in both scenes, reflecting the shared human experiences of desire and consequence. Just like in Renaissance paintings that followed, these symbols evoke a powerful emotional response, tapping into our collective memories and fears, urging us to confront the eternal drama of human existence.