Adam

Description

For most of his long career, Lucas Cranach the Elder was court painter to the Elector of Saxony. Although the general placement of Adam and Eve in these paintings reflects the influence of Albrecht Dürer's renowned classicizing treatment of the same subject in paintings and prints, Cranach's slender, undulating figures conform to the contemporary courtly ideals of beauty. This pair is one of the finest of the many versions of the subject made by Cranach and his workshop.

Provenance

Private collection, Stockholm [according to Rich 1936, p. 46]. J. Goudstikker, Amsterdam, by 1935 [record of payment to Goudstikker, September 10, 1935, Art Institute Archives]; sold to Charles H. Worcester, Chicago, September 1935; given to the Art Institute, 1935.

Adam

Lucas Cranach the Elder

1533–37

Accession Number

111718

Medium

Oil on panel

Dimensions

107.5 × 36.4 cm (42 5/16 × 14 5/16 in.); Framed: 121.6 × 51.6 cm (47 7/8 × 20 5/16 in.)

Classification

oil on panel

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Charles H. and Mary F. S. Worcester Collection