The Temptation of Eve

1535–55
(French)
(Italian, 1500/04–1557)
Sheet: 42.7 x 58.4 cm (16 13/16 x 23 in.); Secondary Support: 48.9 x 69.5 cm (19 1/4 x 27 3/8 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Bartsch 3 (XVI.377)
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Location: not on view

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Description

In the 1540s Italian artist Luca Penni worked at the French king François I’s court at Fontainebleau. He created this image of the temptation of Eve (etched by Jean Mignon) by directly quoting Michelangelo’s figure of Eve from the Fall of Man scene on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The twisting serpent around the tree and the figure of Adam to the left—though altered from Michelangelo’s original—are still reminiscent of the earlier composition. Penni added his own unique elements, such as a landscape scene with animals and a decorative border featuring grotesques, cornucopias, and scrollwork.
The Temptation of Eve

The Temptation of Eve

1535–55

Jean Mignon, Luca Penni

(French), (Italian, 1500/04–1557)
France, 16th century

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