Cleveland Museum of Art

Eve

Daniel Hopfer

Date

1505–36

Medium

etching

Culture

Germany, late 15th-early 16th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Sometimes the scarcity of nature is just as significant as its abundance. Here, a tree that appears to be dying forms the backdrop for Eve, who covers herself in a pose associated with modesty in Classical sculpture. Her arms convey the shame of sin, a state of despair emphasized by her downward gaze. The dying tree also suggests paradise lost, the inevitability of death. Daniel Hopfer was one of the first artists to use the etching technique, printing his works from iron plates, rather than copper, as became common later.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.