Adam and Eve, 1936

Dimensions: 146.0 x 113.6 cm

Physical Description: Oil on canvas

Inventory Number: 2363

Acquisition: Acquired in 2011, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Status: Not on display

Texts

About the Work

It is as an exponent of New Objectivity that the Cologne artist Anton Räderscheidt is known. The works he painted in exile in Paris from 1936 onwards have all but fallen into oblivion, only few of them having survived the war. The composition ‘Adam and Eve’ conveys the fear and uncertainty that characterised the artist’s situation. Not only the content, but also the thick application of the paint and extremely free brushwork are reactions to the political circumstances and the penchant for sentimentality that characterized tastes in art during the Third Reich.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title: Adam and Eve

Painter

Anton Räderscheidt

Period Produced

20th century

Object Type

painting (artwork)

Physical Description: Oil on canvas

Material

canvas

Technique

Label at the Time of Manufacture: Monogrammiert und datiert unten rechts: AR / 36

Property and Acquisition

Institution

Städel Museum

Departement

Modern Art 1800–1945

Collection

Städelsches Kunstinstitut

Creditline: Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Eigentum des Städelschen Museums-Vereins e.V.

Picture Copyright: © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2024

Acquisition: Acquired in 2011, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre

Main Motif

Persons Shown

Illustrated Passage

Bibel, Altes Testament, Genesis 3,23

Iconclass

Primary

71A51 Adam and/or Eve overcome with repentance
31AA(+53) the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) - AA - female human figure (+ sitting)
31A(+53) the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) (+ sitting)
31A(+51) the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) (+ standing)
56BB1 Pain, Sorrow, Sadness; 'Dolore', 'Dolore di Zeusi' (Ripa)