Adam og Eva fristes af slangen i Paradisets have. 1910

Othon Friesz made this drawing of Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, with ink on paper. The frenetic mark-making feels like a direct translation of thought into form. The scratchy, almost nervous energy of the line suggests something about temptation itself, perhaps? Look at how Friesz renders the landscape; the swirling, cloud-like forms in the upper portion of the drawing are mirrored in the foliage surrounding Adam and Eve, drawing a connection between the internal world of feeling and the external world of things. It’s like the whole world is vibrating with a barely-perceptible energy. The line is thin, delicate, and a little bit tentative, as if Friesz is feeling his way through the scene. This reminds me of Cezanne's landscapes; they both share a way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world. It is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. Art embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings.