Fall of Man (Adam and Eve) 1509 - 1519

Lucas van Leyden made this engraving of Adam and Eve at the moment of their transgression, sometime in the first decades of the sixteenth century. The story from Genesis had been depicted countless times, but here the artist presents it in the guise of a Northern Renaissance courtly scene. Look at the way that Adam and Eve strike graceful poses, as though they were models in an artist's studio. In the background, there is a fortified town, but the architectural style does not reflect the ancient near east. This is the Netherlands during the early Reformation: a society in which religious imagery was under intense pressure. Was the artist, perhaps, suggesting that his audience should see the Bible itself as a kind of artwork, full of allegorical figures and dramatic settings, to be interpreted rather than taken literally? As historians, we can explore how images like this responded to a time of religious and social change, using sources such as theological debates, pamphlets, and personal letters. Understanding the past helps us understand the function of art.