Not currently on display at the V&A

Statuette

first half of the 16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Netherlands (made)

Gröninger was active primarily as a sculptor of monuments and tombs; this group in contrase gave him the opportunity to depict the nude. It may be inspired by Raphael's fresco of the Fall, and by Dürer's engraving of the same subject.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Religion
Object type
Statuette
Materials and techniques
Boxwood
Boxwood
Brief description
Carved wooden statuette depicting Adam and Eve, North West German, 17th century, by Heinrich Gröninger
Physical description
Group in boxwood. To the left is the seated figure of Adam eating the apple while to the right Eve stands holding an apple towards him in her right hand, her left arm raised (the hand missing). Between them is the trunk of the tree round which is coiled the Serpent terminating in a bird's body (the human (?) head missing). In the background of trees behind Adam appears the head of an ox while lying on the ground behind Eve is a stag.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16cm
Object history
Purchased at the sale of the Desmond Coke Collection, Sotheby's (July 22nd 1931), Lot No. 37 by Dr W. L Hildburgh, F.S.A.
Subjects depicted
Serpent
Adam
Eve
Summary
Gröninger was active primarily as a sculptor of monuments and tombs; this group in contrase gave him the opportunity to depict the nude. It may be inspired by Raphael's fresco of the Fall, and by Dürer's engraving of the same subject.
Bibliographic references
  • Rasmussen, Jörg, Barockplastik in Norddeutschland, Hamburg: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 1977.
  • Stiegemann, Christoph. Heinrich Gröninger Ein Beitrag zur Skulptur zwischen Spätgotik und Bavock im Füustentum Paderborn. Paderborn. 1989. pp.144-5.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.1-1934

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O314543/statuette-unknown/
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