Adam and Eve in Paradise
Medium
Pen and black ink with brush and gray and brown wash, over traces of graphite, on ivory laid paper (hexagonal), laid down on board
Dimensions
28.9 × 35.3 cm (11 7/16 × 13 15/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
114044
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Battista Cipriani’s “Adam and Eve in Paradise” presents the biblical couple in their innocent state before the Fall, rendered in delicate pen and black ink with layered gray and brown washes over faint graphite lines. The hexagonal format on ivory laid paper gives the composition an intimate, jewel-like quality, as if designed for a decorative setting or collector’s cabinet. Cipriani’s fluid line work and subtle tonal washes skillfully model the figures’ forms while evoking the lush, tranquil atmosphere of Eden. The drawing’s technique highlights Cipriani’s mastery of wash as both de...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Cipriani · 1766–1839
Giovanni Battista Cipriani was born on April 20, 1766, in Siena, Italy, to Simon Pietro Cipriani and Eva Bandini. He grew up alongside his brothers Barbato, a sculptor, and Galgano, an engraver, in a family immersed in the arts. Cipriani began his education studying Latin and mathematics before pursuing fine arts under the sculptor and architect Giuseppe Silini in Siena.) His talent earned him a p...