The Fall of Man

Titian's Fall of Man from around 1550, now in the Museo del Prado, depicts Adam and Eve at the moment of original sin in a lush forest landscape that combines the beauty of the world before the Fall with the moral catastrophe that will change it forever. The muscular Adam and the sensuous Eve — whose physical beauty is part of the narrative logic, since it was Eve's desirability as well as the serpent's seduction that the traditional account implicated in Adam's choice — are rendered with the full power of Titian's late figure painting. The subject had obvious theological weight in the Counter-Reformation decades when the doctrine of original sin was a central point of controversy between Catholic and Protestant theology; Titian's treatment at this date participates in the Catholic insistence on the real historical Fall and the real human condition of fallen nature that only grace, the sacraments, and Christ's redemption could address. The Prado's holding connects this work to Philip II's extensive collection of Titian's religious subjects.

The warm flesh tones of the two nude figures are set against a dense, dark landscape, with Titian's increasingly free brushwork creating a rich, atmospheric surface that emphasizes sensuality and natural energy.

Located in the Museo del Prado, Madrid, The Fall of Man has been in the Spanish royal collection since the 16th century. The painting has been cleaned and restored, revealing the warm flesh tones and rich landscape colors. The canvas has been relined. Some scholars have noted workshop participation in parts of the composition. The overall condition is good for a work of this age and size.