The Expulsion from Eden

A fervent Catholic in a chiefly Protestant culture, the Utrecht artist Abraham Bloemaert spread his faith by having his religious drawings engraved as prints. The banishing angel seems to fracture this print into a mass of diagonals, in a warning against sin. Eve recoils in her newfound nakedness while Adam frames Eve with outstretched arms. This creates a visual loop that illustrates Genesis 3:12-13: Adam blames God for sending him woman (Eve), and she blames the serpent for beguiling her.