Adam and Eve

This picture is one of the last pieces Klimt worked on before his unexpected passing. The unfinished painting "Adam and Eve" is the only one in Klimt's oeuvre that includes biblical content. It shows Adam and Eve, a motif from the biblical creation story. However, Klimt was less interested in the verses of the fall of man in the bible and more so in the timeless incarnation of Eve as the mother of life. His depiction of a full-bodied female figure with broad hips has a somewhat archaic look, reminiscent of prehistoric idols, tribal artifacts or similar. Eve's feet are covered by colorful anemone, a symbol of fertility. Behind her is a leopard hide, which may actually be linked to the maenads as known from Greek mythology. It is symbolic of wild and untamed erotic love. With great effort and dedication, Klimt selected the colors of the smooth, velvety complexion of the naked female body, whose soft skin tones are refined with light blues and yellows. The overwhelming brightness of the body of Eve stands out significantly from the substantially more bronzed body of Adam, who frames Eve like a protective sheet.