Joseph Strutt after William Taverner

Adam and Eve

11 x 16 inches

A striking stipple plate engraving printed in sanguine, by Strutt after Taverner; published in London circa 1780.

In this image, familiar to us all from the Book of Genesis, we see a distraught Adam being comforted by Eve who pleads for forgiveness whilst clasping him tightly around the waist and knee. We presume that the forbidden fruit has already been plucked and our troubled couple are facing eviction from The Garden of Eden. Eve's copious locks offer an almost comical solution to both her and Adam's modesty and the plump physique of both rather suggests that they have been enjoying the full benefits of Eden prior to the Fall!

Joseph Strutt excelled at the method of stipple engraving which produces this unique, pixilated effect, further enhanced by the use of a strong sepia ink. Decorative prints such as this became increasingly popular towards the end of the C18th as a burgeoning middle class required decorative fodder for their walls.