Adam and Eve Reproached by God

The figures in Adam and Eve Reproached by God are what I first noticed when looking at the piece. They are in high relief and are very lively, with thin legs and arms and wide bodies. This pictorial style is very reminiscent of Byzantine and Carolingian style. Another noticeable technique is the Hiberno-Saxon interlace motif, as seen in the tree forms, especially the one on the left border.

The desired message of the sculptor or Hildesheim’s bronze doors, and the scene of Adam and Ever Reproached by God, is clearly relayed. We can see the story from the Bible where God is rebuking Adam and Eve for disobeying Him. It is a familiar story to most. God had given Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden, a beautiful paradise to do whatever they wished, but had also given them one rule, and that was to not eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge. Despite having a rather wonderful life, the serpent successfully persuades Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and she gives Adam some and he too falls into temptation. When God returns to check on Adam and Eve He sees them covering themselves because they were self-conscious of their nakedness. God obviously knows what has happened and begins to scold them. It is evident in the scene that Adam is trying to shift the blame from himself to Eve who then tries to put the blame on the serpent. This shifting of blame is clearly visible, not only by their pointing fingers but also by their facial expressions.

Another way the sculptor conveys his message is the hierarchy of pose and gesture clearly presented. God is almighty and standing tall, wagging his finger at Adam and fully clothed. Adam is bent over covering himself, with an awkward point back towards Eve. His bent back is accentuated by the tree’s diagonal branch. Eve is even more towards the ground pointing towards the lowest figure, the serpent, which is on the ground.

The final pictorial technique is how the picture reads from left to right. It is in reverse order of how the story unfolded. This is also important because this technique means that the viewer naturally sees God first.