Adam and Eve at the Foot of the Cross 1642 - 1652

Claude Mellan made this print of 'Adam and Eve at the Foot of the Cross’ with burin on laid paper in the mid-seventeenth century. It portrays the Christian idea of atonement. Adam and Eve are drawn at the base of Christ’s cross, indicating that Christ’s death on the cross offers humanity salvation for their original sin. This print was made in France, a deeply Catholic country at the time, so it's no surprise that Mellan chose a religious subject that was sure to find a wide audience. But it's also interesting to note the presence of the skeleton, a symbol of death, near Adam and Eve. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of their actions but also reinforces the importance of atonement and the Church as an institution. For the art historian, it can be revealing to research the religious and political structures of seventeenth-century France in order to better contextualize prints like these. We can look at the status of the Church, the relationship between religious and secular authority, and the dissemination of texts and images.