Expulsion from Paradise
1543
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.1161
Art Historical Context
Sebald Beham's *Expulsion from Paradise* (1543) is a masterful engraving that captures the dramatic biblical moment from Genesis when Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden by a vengeful angel. As one of the "Little Masters" of the German Renaissance, Beham was renowned for his exquisitely detailed small-scale prints, often produced in Nuremberg during a time of religious upheaval amid the Protestant Reformation. This work exemplifies his precise line work and intricate compositions, drawing from the Northern Renaissance tradition influenced by Albrecht Dürer. Engraving, the medium here, was revol...
About the Artist
Sebald Beham · 1500–1550
Sebald Beham (1500–1550), a pioneering German printmaker and painter born in Nuremberg, emerged as one of the most prolific artists of the Northern Renaissance. The elder brother of fellow artist Barthel Beham, he grew up in a milieu steeped in artistic tradition, though details of his early training remain sparsely documented. Recorded as a journeyman painter (Malergeselle) by 1521 and a master w...