A Sculpture of Adam by Tullio Lombardo

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A Sculpture of Adam by Tullio Lombardo With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture. In my examination of the works, I came across a particular sculpture that portrayed both beauty and craftsmanship. A 15th century sculpture (1490), made in Venice, Italy by Tullio Lombardo, shows a life-size figure of Adam. Titled Adam, the work is the most prominent in the gallery mostly because of its 6-foot standing. It immediately caught my attention and gave me a very realistic impression. One beige color and made of marble, Adam is depicted simply, yet the statue has intense emotions. His meaningful glance is seen in the upward and tilted head position. Adam has almost lifeless looking eyes and seems to be staring into the distance. With these sagging eyes, parted lips, and lacking posture I feel Adam’s guilt is displayed in this figure. I recognize this as the religious figure Adam because of my knowledge of the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the event of the first sin. The Fall of Mankind corrupts the pure relationship with God and makes redemption needed. Adam and his wife Eve were allowed to live in paradise without any restrictions imposed on them. The... ... middle of paper ... ... light that seems to be coming from the opposite direction. On the right, Adam holds onto a branch from a tree trunk that is adorned with a serpent and a grapevine, symbolizing the temptation of sin. The serpent is tightly wrapped around the trunk and his heading towards the top. The serpent is barely noticeable, but balances out the tree trunk with the sculpture in order to create a more organized structure. This sculpture of Adam by Lombardo shows the true craftsmanship and skill of sculptors in the 15th century. It stimulated my curiosity because of its realism and the important religious story that it depicted. After examining this sculpture I was encouraged to explore similar works throughout the museum. I also enjoy the variety of art found at the Metropolitan and plan to you to visit again to wander through the galleries that I may have just passed by.

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