Suzanne Valadon Adam And Eve

Throughout the canon of art history, one can see the continual depiction of the motif regarding the biblical story of Adam and Eve; the same is true in Suzanne Valadon's piece, Adam and Eve. The story of Adam and Eve is one that dates back to the beginning of mankind, as they are the first human beings to be created by the Judeo-Christian God. Their significance in Judeo-Christian belief is based on the concept of original sin. Moreover, Eve, deceived by Satan disguised as a serpent, eats from the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, and while doing so, gives the fruit for Adam to eat. Eating the fruit imbued Adam and Eve with ability to discern negative and destructive thoughts and made them aware and ashamed of their nakedness. Dismayed

The background of the image consists of dark shades of brown, blue and green that create a scene of a garden or an outdoor area; it is plain and simple, with no robust colors distracting the viewer from the two figures, Adam and Eve. In contrast, Adam and Eve pulse with color and energy, as they are portrayed with lighter shades of color to distinguish them as the main focus of the piece. Due to their illumination, the viewer can observe the difference in facial expressions between the two figures. Eve expresses herself as more optimistic, and in a sense, cheerful of her reaching for the forbidden fruit, while Adam appears apprehensive of her actions, knowing what might come of this situation; he reaches out to stop her hand. In addition, his gaze is not towards the fruit. He glares into an unknown space, not contemplating Eve’s decisions entirely, but still holding a degree of caution. Lastly, another difference between Adam and Eve lies between the fact that Eve is portrayed in the nude, while Adam’s pubic triangle is covered by a sparse plant

In comparison to the background scenery, there is not a strong use of the outlines as there are with depicting the figures of Adam and Eve. Furthermore, they both hold a stance and position with their arms that creates a diagonal line across the image. Moreover, at the top left, one can view Eve reaching for the apple and Adam’s subtle, but forceful hand resisting her from doing so. Additionally, as the viewer follows the diagonal lines of Adam and Eve’s bodies, made discernable with their dark outlines, he or she can be directed to the second physical connection that takes place in the piece: Adam also holds the left hand of Eve around his waist. With the use of the solid outlines, the figures of Adam and Eve do not taper. They are clear and made visible to the audience, expressing Valadon’s desire for the viewer to observe the narrative behind the