Lucas Cranach the Elder's Adam and Eve

I'm going to talk about Lucas Crannach the Elder's painting of Adam and Eve, made in 1526. This elegant and harmonious painting was actually made at a time of considerable religious upheaval in Europe. The date carved into the tree, 1526, was actually just nine years after Martin Luther had initiated the Protestant Reformation. Lucas Crannach the Elder worked for much of his life at the Royal Court in Saxony. Here he was at the centre of the Reformation and knew Martin Luther personally. This scene, taken from the Book of Genesis, would have been designed as much for pleasure as for instruction. Lucas Crannach has chosen to take the pivotal moment from the story of Adam and Eve, but soon as Adam bites into the apple they will be cast out of the Garden of Eden and become ashamed of their nakedness. We can see that Crannach has tried to give the scene contemporary resonance by making the figures look very Northern European. Their pale skin and Eve's red hair would have related to early 16th century viewers. Even Eve's hairstyle would have been very contemporary. Crannach, we know from x-rays made by the Conservation Department here at the Courtauld, took great care to get the hands and the position of the fingers exactly right. This type of art would also have been acceptable to Crannach's patrons and friends because it has removed all the magical elements that were associated with Catholic art. There are no flying angels, halos or golden rays. Although it's a very stylised scene, it is essentially a natural scene. Even the snake, which represents the devil and might normally be shown with a devil's head or even a woman's head, appears as just a normal snake. The technique of this painting is remarkable for its level of detail. Lucas Crannach has painted every individual blade of grass and every leaf on the tree and the hedges behind. The image was rich in symbolism for its early viewers who would have had a very good understanding of the Bible. Hidden right at the centre of the image is a grapevine, perhaps at a glance might look like a normal fig leaf disguising Adam and Eve's genitals, but actually on closer inspection we can see grapes and this represents wine and the blood of Christ. So what Lucas Crannach has cleverly done is he's shown that although things are about to go wrong at this particular moment, Christ will come later on in the story and put things right. Other symbols, particularly within the animals, also suggest Christ's resurrection. An original viewer would have identified meaning, particularly within the lamb, a symbol of Christ's innocence and sacrifice. The lamb could also be interpreted as representing true Christians who follow the Lord as their shepherd. The lion opposite to the sheep perhaps could be seen as representing evil, perhaps the encroaching influence of the devil, but it's such a friendly looking lion that I think more likely the lion represents the courage that will be needed to overcome the problems that ensue. Although today's viewers are perhaps not as familiar with the religious meanings and symbolism within this work, we can still take great pleasure from its detailed style and from the close mode of viewing it encourages.