Garden of Eden

Wenceslaus Hollar after Hans Holbein the Younger after Abraham van Diepenbeeck

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of a framed scene with a historical or mythological narrative. The central panel depicts a man and a woman near a tree with various animals in a natural setting. The details are highlighted by precise engraving. Surrounding the central scene are figures that may symbolize themes of mortality and time, including an hourglass or scythe. Below the central frame is a skeleton. The drawing is rich in allegorical content, with careful attention to anatomical detail and textural depth, combining nature with classical or biblical motifs.