Italian school; 17th century.

Italian school; XVII century.
"Eva."
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements. 84 x 63 cm.
Feminine nude in which the author presents a young woman of long bust, dressed with some leaves in the waist, hardly perceptible. The lady of long and golden knight directs her look towards the spectator making him an accomplice of the scene. In her hand a fruit can be appreciated in a delicate way, surely an apple, so it is evident that it is the representation of Eve. Although the artist plays with the ambiguity of the theme, presenting a naked biblical character.
According to the biblical story narrated in Genesis 2:16-17. God placed Adam and Eve, and to test their faithfulness and obedience gave them the command to eat all the fruits of the tree of the garden, except one, called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (but did not forbid them to eat from the tree of life) indicating to Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruits of it, they would die. The serpent in the Garden of Eden, who knew of this prohibition, took advantage of this one rule; and thus tempted and deceived Eve, who ate of the forbidden fruit. Eve seeing that it was "good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and indeed a tree to be desired to make one wise," gave it also to her husband to eat.