Category: Lucas Cranach the Elder

The Fruit and the Fall

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Between apple season and my current Bible Study on the book of Genesis, I have got to get some Adam and Eve stuff out of my system! First, let’s talk apples. My friend and I carpooled to a cross-country meet an hour away last night and we talked about apples almost the whole way home. Who knew the fruit could incite such passion?! (Answer: Adam. Eve. Serpent. God.) As we discussed, she sent me a chart she had to help with all apple-centric decisions. Of which there are many this time of year. Here is the chart, in case you too are wondering where Jonagolds fall in the rankings. 

This makes me hungry for pie.

I am also studying the fall of mankind in my Bible Study. Just a fun, light-hearted topic to ponder on the daily! It reminded me of this piece of art I love in the Chicago Institute of Art. Or pieces, I suppose. Lucas Cranach the Elder painted several versions of Adam and Eve, sometimes in one portrait, sometimes in two. Chicago has Adam and Eve in separate frames, but obviously together. In all Cranach’s versions, Eve has red hair. (Only notable for people with red hair, I know.)

Eve’s portrait gives us more information about what’s happening. I had to zoom in, but there is a bite already taken from the apple so she has fallen, but there is still hope for Adam. I think Cranach really captured Adam’s emotion well. With his hand close to his heart he looks a little horrified, but his face looks soft and ready to try that tasty Honeycrisp (don’t you think it was a Honeycrisp?) 

Next we’ve got… the Sistine Chapel. Surely, I’ve written about this before? Eve is not a redhead in this painting because she hasn’t sinned yet. In fact, she hasn’t even been created. If we’re being honest, I didn’t know until recently Eve was even in this painting! I must have been distracted by Adam (ow ow!) But she’s there, tucked under God’s arm, waiting to exist. There is a theory that Michelangelo gave Adam an extra rib on his left to symbolize the creation of Eve from said rib. I can’t see an extra rib, but I hope it’s a true theory, because that is a very clever idea. 

Lastly, The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man. How’s that for a succinct title? I just learned about this painting and I love it. Adam is jacked, even though Genesis says nothing of a nearby Crossfit. And the animals? Gorgeous. Apparently there are some grapes in there somewhere that represent wine, which represents Jesus’ blood. I sure do love some good, old-fashioned Christian symbolism in a painting! Jan Brueghel the Elder did the flora and fauna in this painting and Peter Paul Rubens did the figures. That’s an even better collaboration than Doja Cat and Niki Minaj if you ask me! 

*A PSA: You can get all kinds of Eve-as-a-Temptress art on Etsy. I don’t care to remember the downfall of humanity every time I walk through my hallway, but if that’s the motif you’re going for…

Family Ties

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This summer is all about family! I’m willing to bet you’ve had a reunion this summer. Or at least a get-together with some seasonal family (you know- the cousins you only see in the summer because they won’t come north in the winter, or because they’re teachers, or because it’s too expensive to fly your whole family to them, or whatever.)

We are packing all our family stuff into this one week. It all kicked off last weekend in the most incredible way, meeting my cousin and his family for the first time (that is a long, surreal, incredible story for another time) at a huge party with all my cousins from around the country, whom I adore. Today my girls are building forts and eating popsicles with my niece and nephew, to whom I will give anything they want, no questions asked. Tomorrow, we are meeting my cousins who are in town from Thailand. All of this to say- it’s the best week of the year and my heart is full to the point of ALL CAPS!

I don’t know about your cousins, but mine are fun, smart, kind, and creative. The Cranach family of Germany also had some artistic DNA running through their veins (or wherever DNA runs. You know what I mean.)

Apollo and Diana by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery by Lucas Cranach the Younger

Having an Elder and Younger must have been very confusing when people phoned the house. And you know they opened each other’s mail. Not to mention BOTH wanted to be lcranach@gmail.com. Wikipedia is still confused and gives credit to L.C. the Younger for “Adam and Eve” which was actually painted by his dad.

Adam and Eve. These are separate paintings, but housed next to each other in Chicago.

Frustrating! But what are you going to do? It’s family.