Adam and Eve 

Peter Paul Rubens’s Adam and Eve is an oil on canvas painting by an artist who learned the trade in Antwerp’s Guild of Saint Luke, where artists mastered skills and techniques passed down through generations. Rubens uses traditional materials in this artwork, such as ground pigments mixed with oil, applied to a woven canvas support. His mastery is evident in his ability to capture light, texture, and form. The process relies on layering paint to create depth and realism. Look at the figures, which embody a robust physicality, achieved through careful observation and skillful rendering of light and shadow. Rubens’s mastery in using traditional materials and techniques elevate this biblical scene. The value is not just in the final image, but also in the expertise, labor, and social context of its creation. These elements challenge the distinctions between fine art and craft, reminding us that art-making involves process and skill.