Fotoreproductie van het fresco De zondeval en de verdrijving uit het Paradijs door Michelangelo in de Sixtijnse kapel 1851 - 1900

This is a photographic reproduction of Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel, depicting the Fall of Man and their expulsion from Paradise. Here we see the archetypal symbols of temptation and punishment, deeply embedded in the Western psyche: the serpent coiled around the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve reaching for forbidden fruit, and the angel driving them out. Consider the serpent, a powerful symbol of transformation and primal energy, seen in ancient Near Eastern art as a deity, and here, transformed into a symbol of deceit. Notice the way shame is expressed in the faces of Adam and Eve. In earlier depictions, like those in medieval manuscripts, Adam and Eve are often presented as smaller, less muscular figures, their shame portrayed through averted gazes and covered bodies. Yet, Michelangelo's figures are robust, their shame embodied in dramatic gestures of covering their faces, reflecting the psychological weight of their transgression. The Fall and expulsion is not merely a tale of disobedience, but a powerful, cyclical narrative that has resonated through art history, resurfacing and evolving, each time carrying a profound emotional and psychological impact.