Description

Characteristic of German Renaissance art, Cranach’s print reflects an interest in the natural world. Here, a lion and stag—natural enemies resting together peacefully—symbolize an earthly paradise moments before Adam and Eve taste the forbidden fruit, believed to be the cause of humankind’s sinful nature and mortality. In this woodcut, Cranach used curving black lines to emulate the natural qualities of animal fur. His brushstrokes in the nearby painting Hunting near Hartenfels Castle illustrate deer with a similar sense of realism.