Adam and Eve, after Albrecht Dürer

From the moment of its execution, Dürer’s Adam and Eve was widely copied by artists from both north and south of the Alps. The inscription “I.H.W.AE 16” indicates that this particular copy was made by the Flemish artist Jan Wierix, presumably at the age of sixteen. Although Wierix was one of Dürer’s most proficient imitators, his copy falls short of Dürer’s fine spectrum of texture and tone, replacing it instead with harsh contrasts and a slick finish. Whereas Dürer’s finely nuanced forms seamlessly transition from one to the other, Wierix’s more limited tonal range necessitates that the artist sharply define the outlines of his forms with thin white bands.