The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise

This tumultuous scene plunges us into the dramatic moment of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden. A powerful, winged angel, cloaked in red, drives the first humans from paradise with a flaming sword, its light catching the angel's determined face and muscular arm. Adam shields his face in despair, while Eve, her body contorted in anguish, reaches back toward the vanishing light of Eden. Their vulnerability is highlighted by the contrast with the angel's divine power, emphasizing the profound consequences of their transgression. This painting was a preparatory sketch for one of several large canvases intended for a chapel in Windsor Castle, a project that occupied the artist for two decades, though the paintings were ultimately never installed. It captures the raw emotion and scale fitting for such a monumental biblical narrative.