An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise1627
Artist: Domenico Passignano
Italian (Florence), 1559 - 1638
angel with brown hair in ULQ, wearing olive green garment over a white undergarment with flowing red sash, holding a sword with a curving red blade in PR hand and reaching down with PL hand; slightly crouching man and woman in foreground wearing loincloths made of leaves; snake, LRC; some white quadrupeds in distance, LRQ; gilt frame with inner leaf pattern; "11" on plate at LRC
96 × 66 3/4 in. (243.84 × 169.55 cm) (sight)
110 × 78 3/4 × 4 in. (279.4 × 200.03 × 10.16 cm) (outer frame)
Oil on canvas
Painting
Italy
17th century
Gift of John Morton Morris in honor of Patrick Noon
In a sun-drenched corner of Florence, during the heart of the Counter-Reformation, a brush danced with purpose in the hands of the Tuscan painter Domenico Passignano. His journey through the hues and shadows of life unfolded against the backdrop of a church eager to inspire devotion in every heart that gazed upon art's vivid embrace. It was a time when the Catholic Church sought not just to decorate its sacred spaces but to ignite the flames of faith within the soul.
With each stroke of his brush, Passignano tapped into an emotional swell, creating images that wrapped around the viewer like a warm embrace. The figures of Adam and Eve sprang to life beneath his deft hands. The earthly tones of their bodies spoke of the very essence of humanity, while the delicate fig leaves covering their nakedness revealed both vulnerability and purity. Lush greenery breathed around them, a promise of paradise alive with the colors of nature.
Yet, underneath the fluttering presence of a sword-wielding angel loomed an ominous tension. This divine messenger, tasked with expelling the first humans from Paradise, seemed to echo the very despair written across Adam and Eve's faces. Their sorrow came alive—it was visceral, the weight of their sin manifesting as a physical ache. The moment they tasted the forbidden apple, suffering trickled into existence, casting shadows over their blissful Eden. Women would face the torment of childbirth, and men the harshness of labor in fields where bread would come at a price.
Emerging from the scene, there lay the serpent—the sly tempter who lured Eve into disobedience. Forever cursed to slither upon its belly and eat the dust of the earth, this creature served as the eternal reminder of fallen grace. The message of Passignano’s work was as clear as the colors it displayed: divine authority reigns supreme, and every sin carries its weight of retribution.
This stirring piece was not created in isolation but commissioned by none other than Cardinal Francesco Barberini, a prominent figure whose lineage was entwined with that of Pope Urban VIII. As the church flourished, so too did the Barberini, gathering an illustrious art collection that echoed through history, their legacy resonating with the whispers of creativity and devotion. This painting remained within the embrace of the Barberini family, a treasure shared with descendants until the wheel of time turned into the 21st century—its story forever entwined with the hearts who dared to appreciate its profound narrative.
About the artist
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