Who painted The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden?

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden was painted by German 15th Century in 1470.

Where can I see The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden?

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden?

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden

German 15th Century , 1470

The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden is a paint print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1470 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work titled *The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden* is a metalcut print that has been hand‑colored with vivid pigments of yellow, red‑brown lake and green. The image presents a compact scene of three figures within a stylized garden setting, rendered in the flat, bright coloration characteristic of early printmaking.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts the biblical moment of humanity’s removal from Eden. A robed figure on the left, rendered in a dotted garment, gazes downward, while two naked companions stand beside him; one clutches a leaf or small branch, suggesting the modesty imposed after the fall. The arrangement emphasizes the loss of innocence and the onset of human awareness.

Technique & Style

Executed as a metalcut, the image was incised into a metal plate, allowing for bold, linear outlines. After printing, the surface was manually painted with flat washes of yellow, red‑brown, and green, producing a uniform, non‑modelled appearance. The figures appear blocky and rigid, reflecting the early Renaissance tendency toward schematic representation in printed media.

History & Provenance

The print belongs to the early period of Renaissance printmaking, when artists began to explore reproducible media. Its hand‑coloring indicates a later stage of production, likely intended for a market that valued vivid, affordable illustrations of biblical narratives.

Context

During the transition from medieval to Renaissance art, printmakers adopted simplified visual vocabularies to disseminate religious stories widely. The inclusion of modest architectural elements and leafy framing aligns with contemporary efforts to situate biblical events within recognizable, albeit stylized, environments.

Legacy

Although not celebrated for technical virtuosity, the piece exemplifies the spread of narrative imagery through early print technology. Its straightforward visual language contributed to the broader accessibility of scriptural themes in the burgeoning print culture of the period.