Adam and Eve before the Tree of Knowledge1604

This is a drawing of two nude figures standing beneath a fruit-bearing tree surrounded by elements of nature. The drawing depicts a scene in a lush outdoor setting, featuring intricately detailed branches and leaves of the large tree as well as an eagle-like bird perched nearby. In the background are additional trees extending into a forested area, and a winding path leading into the distance. The foreground includes various plants and the ground is littered with their leaves. The figures are positioned at the center, engaged in a gesture of pointing towards the fruit in the tree. The scene is rendered in fine details with attention to the texture and flow of the natural elements surrounding the figures.

Description from the National Gallery of Art.

Jan Saenredam made this in 1604, aged 39. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

How it was made

Engraving

Lines cut directly into a metal plate with a steel burin, which makes them swell and taper. It took years to master, and for centuries it was how paintings travelled as pictures.

Laid paper

Handmade on a mould of close-set wires, which leave fine parallel lines you can see when the sheet is held to the light.