The Temptation

This is the first in a series of ten paintings on the biblical story of Adam and Eve. They were commissioned by the brewer Laurence Hodson as a frieze for his library at Compton Hall, near Wolverhampton. The bold designs show William Strang's admiration for the French Symbolist artist Puvis de Chavannes, and also the German painter Hans Thoma. The Eve cycle in turn influenced other British artists. It was much admired when it was first exhibited, particularly by the artist Walter Sickert and by the younger generation of London art students.