Adam and Eve, 1504
Albrecht Dürerexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
The Christina N. and Swan J. Turnblad Memorial Fund, 1958expand_more P.12,613
Not on Viewexpand_more
In this famous engraving, Albrecht Dürer’s primary interest was not Adam and Eve’s imminent sin, but introducing the German public to perfectly constructed classical forms of man and woman. In a sense, he proclaimed that the art of antiquity could lead artists back to an artistic Eden, a place of perfect God-given beauty. Dürer usually monogrammed his prints, but he attached such significance to this one that he signed it in full. He also included his address, a sign that he expected the work to reach distant audiences—as it has. The clarity and lushness of this particular sheet place it among the best examples of Dürer’s printmaking in any American public collection.
Details
- Title
- Adam and Eve
- Artist Life
- 1471–1528
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.12,613
- Provenance
- A. Bourduge (until 1815; his sale, F. L. Regnault-Delalande, Paris, May 23, 1815); S. Kalmann, Berlin (until 1906, sale, C. G. Boerner, Leipzig, May 11-12, for 9100 M). [Richard H. Zinser, Forest Hills, New York, until 1958, sold July 9, for $8,800, to Mia]
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Meder I ii/iii a/c; Bartsch VII.30.1; Hollstein 98 a/b, Dodgson 39
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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