Expulsion from the Garden of Eden 1620

Peter Paul Reubens created “Expulsion from the Garden of Eden” with oil paint on wood. This was a traditional process for the time, allowing the artist to render rich colors and textures. The materiality of oil paint, its viscosity and luminosity, greatly influences the image’s appearance. Reubens’ gestural brushwork creates a sense of movement, as Adam and Eve are forced from paradise. Layer upon layer of pigment were applied to build up the scene, with shadows and highlights shaping the figures. The physicality of the paint mirrors the dramatic narrative, adding to the scene’s emotional intensity. Reubens belonged to a workshop system, which was the standard mode of artistic production at the time. This involved a division of labor, with assistants preparing materials, and even contributing to the painting itself, a far cry from the romantic idea of the solitary artist. By considering materials, making, and context we gain a greater understanding of how this artwork was made, and what it means.