Artist: Nadia Molugova

Tecnique: oil on canvas

Size: 1 m X 1 m & 80 cm X 1 m

 

Diptych of Eden's Fall

 

This oil painting, a diptych, presents a poignant depiction of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Two separate canvases portray Adam and Eve, nude and vulnerable, amidst a stylized, ethereal garden. The female figure, Eve, is consumed by sorrow and despair, her face etched with regret. She stands in a frontal position, facing the viewer directly, her posture reflecting her isolation and the weight of her transgression. A chasm separates the two figures, symbolizing the emotional and spiritual distance that has grown between them.

Into this void, a menagerie of stylized, wild animals intrudes, their forms both menacing and pitiful. They represent the chaos and disorder that have been unleashed upon the world as a result of Eve's temptation. Adam, facing away from the viewer, appears aloof and arrogant, having already consumed the forbidden fruit. Behind him, a stylized tree, painted in the alla prima technique, bursts with vibrant, otherworldly flowers. The scattered fruit at the feet of both figures serves as a stark reminder of their fateful choice.

The painting captures the moment of Eve's realization that there is no turning back, that the idyllic world she once knew has been irrevocably altered. Adam, however, remains oblivious to the gravity of their situation, his arrogance blinding him to the consequences of their actions.