Adam and Eve
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View on museum website →Medium
woodcut on Japanese paper
Dimensions
plate: 24.8 x 20.6 cm (9 3/4 x 8 1/8 in.) sheet: 38 x 25.5 cm (14 15/16 x 10 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jacob Kainen
Accession Number
2002.98.360
Art Historical Context
Georg Alexander Mathey's *Adam and Eve* (1921) is a striking woodcut print that reimagines the biblical Genesis narrative through the lens of early 20th-century printmaking. Created just after World War I, during a period of artistic experimentation and introspection, this work captures the timeless theme of humanity's origins in Eden, likely emphasizing the figures' vulnerability and harmony with nature through bold, carved lines inherent to the woodcut medium. Printed on delicate Japanese paper—a nod to Eastern print traditions admired by Western artists like Whistler and Munch—the piece me...