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Rembrandt van Rijn

Adam and Eve

1638
Etching on ivory laid paper
16.2 × 11.6 cm (6.4 × 4.6 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn's etching of Adam and Eve , depicts the story of the first Man and Woman with descriptive, wiry lines that create an evocative atmosphere. Shown at the moment of temptation, the couple is surrounded by light that seems about to be blotted out by the dark tree branch and leering serpent (the devil) stretching ominously above them. With their fleshy bodies and ordinary faces (so far removed from Dürer's idealized pair), Rembrandt's Adam and Eve are easy to identify with; their confusion, temptation, and choice become ours.

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