The Discovery of Adam and Eve c. 1792 - 1795

James Barry created this print, "The Discovery of Adam and Eve," in the 18th century, capturing a pivotal moment from the Book of Genesis. Here, the serpent lies at Eve's feet, a potent symbol of temptation and the fall from grace. Consider the serpent's winding form - it slithers through art history, from ancient Near Eastern depictions of deities to the Caduceus, a symbol of medicine, entwined on a staff. In Christianity, the serpent is a symbol of deceit and primal sin, a motif that triggers deep-seated fears and moral anxieties passed down through generations. Even the positioning of Adam and Eve - Adam reaching and Eve looking upwards, evokes a deep sense of longing, loss and the search for redemption that resonates across cultures and epochs. This image acts as a mirror reflecting our collective memory of innocence, temptation, and the complex journey of human existence. As symbols resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts, they invite us to reconsider what it means to be human.