The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise 1445

Giovanni di Paolo painted "The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise" using tempera and gold on wood. This was a common medium in 15th-century Italy, requiring the artist to have knowledge of carpentry, gesso application, pigment mixing, and gilding. Look closely, and you’ll notice the painting has two distinct zones, one on the left and one on the right. The left side depicts the creation of the world as a series of concentric circles, with God the Father overseeing the process. The right side shows Adam and Eve being expelled from Paradise, with the Garden of Eden visible in the background. Giovanni's choice of tempera allows for bright, clear colors and fine detail. The gold leaf, applied meticulously, adds a sense of divine light. The wooden panel itself provides a solid, stable base for the painting. In its time, making a painting like this one was a considerable investment of time and labor. The skills and materials required would have been highly valued. This reflects a time before the industrialization of art materials, when craft and fine art were closely aligned.