In Adam and Eve, we can see Dürer's devotion to the study of ideal human proportions. True to the spirit of the Renaissance, he looked to Greece and Rome for models of perfection. The figure of Adam is borrowed from a famous ancient statue, the Apollo Belvedere. Eve is based on an antique statue of Venus. Although the two figures are posed somewhat stiffly—like statues—their flesh is softly modeled. Dürer created its texture and volume with a burin, building tone with tiny dots and flecks on the copper plate. In addition to the serpent coiling around the Tree of Knowledge, four animals at the foot of the tree represent man's Four Temperaments, at the moment just before they were irrevocably thrown out of balance by the Fall.

Note: When you visit the Museum, you may not see this particular work, although other wonderful engravings from the Renaissance will be on view. This is because prolonged exposure to light can be damaging to works on paper. Therefore, the installation in the galleries for drawings and prints is rotated every few months.