The Redemption Of Adam And Eve, Jacob De Backer (antwerp, C. 1555 – 1585)

Jacob de Backer (Antwerp, c. 1555 – Antwerp, c. 1585)

The Redemption of Adam and Eve after their Expulsion from Eden

Oil on oak panel (106 x 76 cm - In frame 126 x 96 cm)

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The earthly paradise, known as the Garden of Eden, was a place of perfection and happiness where all kinds of delights grew; Adam and Eve were free to eat all the fruits that nature offered them, with the only restriction being that they could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

However, Eve, tempted by the serpent (Genesis 3:1-5), disobeyed God's command, ate the apple from that tree and then persuaded Adam to do the same.

The work we are offering shows the consequences of this disobedience, with the expulsion from Paradise and the transmission of original sin to all humanity.

An extremely rare and fascinating theme, Adam and Eve are shown here chained and bound by the angel, symbolising their spiritual death: this iconography plays a key role in Christian theology, reminding us of the consequences of sin and the consequent need for redemption.

Redemption is in fact the key theme of the painting: the great winged angel, majestic, is ready to save the two sinners, granting them the chance of redemption and of regaining God's grace.

The painting is attributed to Jacob de Backer (Antwerp 1555–1585), a Flemish painter active in the second half of the 16th century and one of the most important Mannerist masters in Antwerp, occupying a prominent position between the generation of Frans Floris, from whom he was strongly influenced, and that of Rubens.

The painting, clearly the result of a Northern European aesthetic, also demonstrates a significant awareness of Italian art, in particular the influence of late Florentine and Roman Mannerism, as can be seen in the works of Bronzino, Vasari and Salviati. This aesthetic was also very much in tune with the prevailing taste at the Prague court of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, and indeed the inventory of the emperor's estate, drawn up after his death in 1612, lists four works by de Backer.

Many of his compositions, although religious in theme, deal with complex allegorical subjects, which was interpreted as evidence that the artist had received a humanistic education and that his patrons came from the educated class of Antwerp.

This work, in particular, is based on a now lost painting by Marte de Vos, of which an engraving has survived, entitled ‘Allegory of Redemption’ (fig. 1, https://wellcomecollection.org/works/pe52fbag). A painting taken from the original work is now in the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (image 2: https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/fotografia/168240/).

Returning to our work, art historian Justus Müller Hofstede suggested in 1973 that the painting was derived from a cycle of five allegorical works painted by De Backer depicting scenes from the life of Jesus (see: Justus Müller Hofstede, Jacques de Backer. Ein Vertreter der Florentinish-Römischen Maniera in Antwerpen), which appeared in various European sales in recent years.

Alongside the composition offered here, we can therefore mention as counterparts the pair of works ‘Nativity’ and ‘Crucifixion’ (image 3 Lempertz Cologne, 14.11.2015, lot 1427: https://www.lempertz. com/en/catalogues/lot/1057-1/1427-jacob-de-backer.html?utm_source=mutualart&... ), and another ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ (image 4 Vienna Palais Dorotheum, 25.10.2023, lot 31: https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/8751569/?utm_source=mutualart&utm_medium=referral ).



The painting is in good condition with some scratches on the panels.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a nice frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

If you would like to see this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!
Please contact us for any information or to arrange a visit, we will be happy to assist you.

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