Adam and Eve at Work
- Artist: Domenico Fetti
- Date: c. 1618-20
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Adam and Eve at Work” by Domenico Fetti. Painted around 1618‑20 in oil on panel, it captures the moment when the couple must fend for themselves after leaving Eden. In the foreground, Eve is busy spinning thread, turning raw fiber into the garments that will keep her family warm. Beside her, Adam is sowing seed in the earth, a quiet testament to human resilience and the toil of agriculture. Their children, young Cain and Abel, wander around, eager to help and learn the rhythm of their new life.
Fetti, who followed Peter Paul Rubens as the court painter for the Gonzaga family of Mantua, brings a lively, energetic style to the scene. He channels Rubens’ dramatic composition while also echoing the softer, delicate hues characteristic of Renaissance Venetian painters. The result is a balanced, almost pastoral tableau that blends vigorous action with a gentle, almost lyrical color palette. The piece feels both intimate and grand, inviting viewers to consider the everyday challenges faced by humanity from the very beginning.
See it in person
Adam and Eve at Work hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
