Painted bodies – Adam and Eve

Painted bodies of our first parents

One may choose to believe or disbelieve in the story of the creation of man as recorded in the biblical book of Genesis. However, the names Adam and Eve hold a significant place in our culture. When we hear these names, our minds immediately conjure up images of them in the Garden of Eden, innocent and pure, even before the original sin. This is how we prefer to remember them. Throughout the centuries, countless depictions of Adam and Eve have been created, showcasing their painted bodies and capturing their beauty, symbolising the Creator’s original intention for mankind. It represents the way we were meant to be.

Regrettably, the sin committed by our first parents altered the course of Adam and Eve story, and its consequences continue to be felt to this day. We are, in fact, active participants in this narrative, paying a high price for their transgression. We ourselves are sinful beings, prone to committing acts of evil. Nevertheless, the myth of paradise endures. Whenever we find ourselves in a beautiful place, we often describe it as being akin to paradise. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a far-off exotic location; it can be a place close to home.

For me, that place is a meadow. It is adorned with a lush carpet of green plants, most of which we are unfamiliar with and have never bothered to learn their names. Curious biologists have taken the time to identify and record them in thick herbariums, but we rarely open them. Instead, we tread upon this verdant foliage, inhaling the delightful aroma of the meadow – a harmonious blend of scents emitted by its flowers. They are small, you might say – inconspicuous. They emit their own individual aromas, which butterflies and other insects are familiar with. This thicket of exuberant herbage on a hot summer afternoon is like a garden of paradise, an Eden, wonderfully evoked for a short time. In autumn, it will be gone. But for now, I have invited Adam and Eve into the meadow. Their painted bodies are visible between the plants, the flowers towering over their heads. After all, this is the place for them. I want to express my admiration for the meadow, the one next to me, through their presence. This is how this painting was created.