The Use of Structural and Lighting Elements in Cranach's Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve painted by Lucas Cranach depicts the beginning of Genesis Chapter 3 in which Eve takes the forbidden fruit and eats it. Different aspects of Cranch’s work specifically refer back to lines of text from the old testament along with the overall work showing viewers Cranch’s opinion and vision of the Garden of Eden scene. More specifically the structure and blocking of the piece show division among creatures along with the lighting of the piece drawing focus to human kind.

Adam and Eve has a very deliberate structure. Every part of the work stands apart from another due to the very clear and concise brush strokes of Cranch which highly contrast later works of the same scene by Peter Paul Rubens along with many modern artists. This deliberate structure, in my opinion, depicts the effects of Adam and Eve consuming the forbidden fruit. Chapter 1 of Genesis describes God creating the world and all the creatures living on it. All the creatures including humans live in harmony. It is not until Eve eats the forbidden fruit, that the concept of evil in the world is part of the human condition. Cranch shows a lion in the background of the piece ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey, the deer. Also in the background an unicorn is seen fleeing from the scene. I see this as a motif to innocence leaving the garden. The unicorn is an adolescent imaginative animal that represents whimsy and carefreeness. Adam and Eve embody all these qualities before eating the fruit and after eating the fruit they suddenly are aware of their nakedness along with other evils.

Another structural feature of this work is the large tree that the forbidden fruit grows on. This tree creates division among Adam and Eve; man and woman. According to the text, Chapter two of Genesis, women were created of man’s own body and placed in the world to help men as a companion. Until Eve eats the forbidden fruit Man and Woman are perfect companions: “therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife and they become flesh.”

After Eve eats the fruit man and woman discovered evil in the world. The tree shows the divide between man and woman caused by the forbidden fruit.

Lucas Cranach depicted Adam and Eve as the brightest entities in the painting. This is for good reason. Their brightness draws the art connoisseur's eye right away. I believe this has to do with God making humanity the most power creature in the Garden of Eden. Throughout the first and second chapters God creates animals and plants for man and tells him to rule over them and give them names. He also created man in his own image: “Let us make man in our image; after our likeness-” Having man be the brightest object in the whole painting echoes the theme of human superiority in Genesis.

Lucas Cranach’s work Adam and Eve brings the Old Testament book Genesis to life and through the use of the different elements of compositions specifically lighting and structure Cranch is able to show his opinions and interpretations of the book .