Trouble in Eden

1960

Jeannette Maxfield Lewis

Associated Names
Jeannette Maxfield Lewis

Artist, American, 1894 - 1982

The image shows two nude individuals depicted from head to toe standing closely side by side. The person on the left is positioned slightly in front of the other, holding an apple in one hand and using the other arm to hold onto the shoulder of the person next to them. The person on the right is leaning slightly towards the other, with one hand resting on their chest. Their faces are shown in detail with distinctive facial features. The left individual has short, textured hair and the right individual's hair is portrayed as straight and flowing downwards. Both figures have stylized, angular facial features. There are no clothes but there is artistic shading and texturing on their bodies. Surrounding the figures are elements suggestive of an Eden-like setting, including a large serpent winding around their legs, and various large leaves and abstract foliage filling the background. A snake with a detailed scale pattern is prominently positioned from the top and intertwines around them.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching, aquatint, and drypoint on wove paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Bob Stana and Tom Judy

  • Dimensions

    image: 35.1 × 15.1 cm (13 13/16 × 5 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 45.4 × 22.8 cm (17 7/8 × 9 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2020.168.9


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Tioga Trading Co., San Francisco, California; purchased by Robert Stana and Thomas Judy, Washington; gift to NGA, 2020

Associated Names

Inscriptions

"Trouble in Eden" lower left margin, graphite. "Jeanette Mayfield Lewis" lower right margin, graphite. "18th final" lower left margin, graphite.

Markings

None.

Watermarks

None.


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