Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise - Hans Holbein the Younger
Archival giclée
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Description
A classic woodcut from Hans Holbein the Younger's 'Dance of Death' series, depicting the expulsion of Adam and Eve accompanied by a skeletal figure.
This woodcut belongs to the series 'Images of Death', commonly known as the 'Dance of Death' (Les Simulachres et historiees faces de la mort). Hans Holbein the Younger designed these small, powerful blocks in the mid-1520s, which were subsequently cut by Hans Lützelburger. The series explores the universality of mortality, a theme that occupied the European imagination during the sixteenth century.
In this specific scene, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden is depicted with stark narrative clarity. An angel, positioned in the upper portion of the frame, brandishes a sword to drive the pair forward. Below, Adam and Eve are shown in a state of distress, their bodies angled away from the divine presence. A skeletal figure, representing Death, accompanies them, clutching a spade and guiding their path. This inclusion of Death as a constant companion to humanity is a hallmark of Holbein's approach to the subject.
The composition relies on the contrast between the divine authority above and the earthly suffering below. The lines are precise and economical, characteristic of the woodcut medium of the period. The figures are rendered with a sense of movement and urgency, while the background elements, such as the trees and clouds, provide a minimal setting that keeps the focus on the interaction between the figures. Holbein's ability to convey complex theological and existential concepts within a small format demonstrates his technical skill and his keen observation of human nature. This print offers a clear window into the aesthetic and philosophical concerns of the Northern Renaissance, where the inevitability of death was a common subject for artistic reflection.
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Specific Features
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Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise - Hans Holbein the Younger
Artist Biography
Hans Holbein The Younger
He was born in Augsburg, Germany, the son of a painter also called Hans Holbein. He studied under his father and was working independently by his late teens. He moved to Basel, where he painted portraits and religious works and illustrated Erasmus's In Praise of Folly with marginal drawings. Erasmus recommended him to Thomas More in England, writing that 'the arts are freezing' in Basel and Holbein should try his luck elsewhere.
He arrived in London in 1526 and painted More's family portrait, the first group portrait of a domestic scene in Northern European art. He returned to Basel, found the Reformation had destroyed the market for religious art, and went back to England permanently in 1532.
His portraits of the Tudor court are the visual record of the period: Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn (probably), Jane Seymour, and the succession of courtiers and merchants who populated Henry's orbit. The technique is almost supernaturally precise. The textures of fur, velvet, jewellery, and skin are rendered with a fidelity that makes other portraitists look approximate.
He was sent to paint prospective brides for Henry, including Anne of Cleves, whose portrait Henry found more attractive than the person. Holbein was not blamed. He died during a plague outbreak in London in 1543, at forty-five.
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