The Fall of Man
ca. 1508–1532
Medium
Woodcut; third state of three
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 in. × 4 15/16 in. (17.8 × 12.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1947
Accession Number
47.100.185
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Fall of Man*, a woodcut by Ludwig Krug, a Nuremberg goldsmith and printmaker active in the early 16th. Created around 1508–1532, this third state of three captures the biblical moment of Adam and Eve's from Eden, a theme central to Christian iconography during the Northern Renaissance. Measuring just 7 × 4 15/16 inches, its compact size made it ideal for devotional books, broadsheets, or personal collections, democratizing art for a wider audience beyond the elite. Krug's work reflects the meticulous draftsmanship of German printmakers like Albrecht Dürer, his contemporary. Woodcu...