Analyzing M. C. Escher's The Fall Of Man

I chose to analyze The Fall of Man, 1927 by M.C. Escher for this paper. This particular piece is a woodcut, and the dimensions are 276mm x 375mm. M.C. Escher was a Dutch artist who mainly worked with graphic art. His piece, The Fall of Man, is a representational art piece with religious content. The context derives from the biblical story of Adam and Eve. On the surface, we see Adam sitting on the ground with his head facing downward as he looks with disappointment. Eve is gesturing for Adam to take the apple from her hand. Her face is sultry and mischievous, for there is a serpent hanging from the tree whispering into her ear. At first glance, you do not notice the serpent because he is camouflaged within the tree. This tree is subordinate to the couple, but it takes up most of the plane. In the background there are valleys, mountains, streams of water, and tall trees. There is more light emitted into the background than the foreground which creates a tranquil atmospheric perception behind the main objects. …show more content…
The shading creates three dimensionality because it implies that there is light reflected on the object in which it has multiple sides. Vertical lines are also used to create grass and to show the flow of water in the streams. Eve’s body is also vertical, whereas Adam is mostly horizontal. I think the lines are comfortable and implies a sense of contentment in their relationship. Most of the shapes are implied though, and one shape overlaps another. There are also black and white geometric shapes on the serpents back, used to camouflage him. The pattern creates an obvious rhythm about the