Adam and Eve at work (marble tile, 1429-34) Bologna, Major portal of Saint Petronio with stories of Genesis Photographer: Alinari, Fratelli (c.1938)
With a rather arid, barren hill in the background, Eve is spinning wool while her two small sons grab at her legs. Adam is digging the ground with a spade while his cape flutters in the wind. Their faces seem thoughtful and sad, but their effort and concentration on their work is great. After the sin, work became hard and tiring, but it is also a way to redemption and human growth. The great emphasis and plastic energy of the figures seem to exalt human work as a heroic undertaking that runs through history from the beginning.