Eve

Discussion

FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

Sometimes the scarcity of nature is just as significant as its abundance. Here, a tree that appears to be dying forms the backdrop for Eve, who covers herself in a pose associated with modesty in Classical sculpture. Her arms convey the shame of sin, a state of despair emphasized by her downward gaze. The dying tree also suggests paradise lost, the inevitability of death. Daniel Hopfer was one of the first artists to use the etching technique, printing his works from iron plates, rather than copper, as became common later.

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