Morisa Rosenberg
Head of Department
Lot 4
Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn(1606-1669)Adam and Eve
31 March – 9 April 2025, 12:00 PDT
Online, Los AngelesSold for US$114,800 inc. premium
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Victoria Zaks
Specialist, Head of Sale
Catherine Lay
Cataloguer
Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606-1669)
Adam and Eve (Bartsch, Hollstein 28, Hind 159, New Hollstein 168), 1638
Etching on laid paper with partial Arms of Amsterdam watermark (Hinterding A.a), with the little smudge on the bridge of Eve's nose still distinct, with the touches of burr around Adam's eye and groin, printing sharply with light burr, a fine early impression of the second (final) state, with a thread margin below and trimmed to or just outside the platemark elsewhere, framed.
plate 6 3/8 x 4 9/16in (16.2 x 11.6cm)
sheet 6 7/16 x 4 5/8in (16.3 x 11.7cm)
Etching on laid paper with partial Arms of Amsterdam watermark (Hinterding A.a), with the little smudge on the bridge of Eve's nose still distinct, with the touches of burr around Adam's eye and groin, printing sharply with light burr, a fine early impression of the second (final) state, with a thread margin below and trimmed to or just outside the platemark elsewhere, framed.
plate 6 3/8 x 4 9/16in (16.2 x 11.6cm)
sheet 6 7/16 x 4 5/8in (16.3 x 11.7cm)
Footnotes
Provenance
Karl Herweg (Lugt 3974);
Sotheby's, London, Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints, 04 December 2003, Lot 80;
Galerie Michael, Beverly Hills;
Acquired directly from the above.
Rembrandt's Adam and Eve offers a striking counterpoint to Albrecht Dürer's 1504 engraving of the first man and woman, and the disparity between the two interpretations could not be greater. Where Dürer idealizes the couple — rendering them as paragons of physical perfection in accordance with the Italian Renaissance — Rembrandt presents a more grounded, almost satirical vision of the biblical narrative.
In this etching, Adam and Eve resemble an ordinary, slightly disheveled Dutch couple, their bodies unidealized and imperfect. Adam's wild, unkempt hair and Eve's long, unruly locks suggest a naturalism far removed from Dürer's sculptural precision. Their expressions convey hesitation and mischief rather than solemnity, as Eve knowingly offers the forbidden fruit while Adam, caught between temptation and conscience, raises a finger as if to spell out the consequences of their actions. This psychological depth — focused on the interaction between the two figures — demonstrates Rembrandt's signature approach to storytelling.
Adding to the composition's humor and complexity, Rembrandt transforms the serpent into a grotesque, bat-winged dragon, its menacing grin heightening the tension of the moment. A rotund elephant in the background further contributes to the scene's unexpected whimsy. Some scholars believe the dragon may reference Dürer's Christ in Limbo, from The Engraved Passion, subtly nodding to the German master's influence while subverting his classical aesthetic.
Despite its comical elements, Rembrandt's etching is a deeply considered work. Unlike much of his graphic oeuvre, for which preparatory drawings are rare, two surviving sketches (held in the David H. Felix Collection, Philadelphia, and the Prentenkabinet, Leiden) suggest that he carefully refined his vision for this composition. This etching exists in two states; there are only two examples of the first state before Rembrandt made minor changes to the hillock Adam leans against in the second state. His concern was less with presenting the conception of original sin as a mythical event of cosmic consequence and more with capturing the psychological and emotional exchange between Adam and Eve at the pivotal moment of temptation, demonstrated by the figures' stance in the nude lacking any shame or concern for what is to come.
A testament to Rembrandt's mastery of etching and narrative depth, Adam and Eve is housed in major collections, including the Rijksmuseum, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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