The artwork, “Expulsion from the Garden of Eden,” was created by Thomas Cole between 1827 and 1828. It is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 138.43 by 100.96 centimeters, and is a representation of the Romanticism art movement. The genre of the artwork is religious painting, symbolizing a profound theological event.
The artwork portrays a dramatic and vivid representation of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden as described in the Book of Genesis. The left side of the canvas illustrates a dark, chaotic landscape filled with jagged rocks and a turbulent sky, symbolizing the fallen state of man and the harsh reality outside Eden. In contrast, the right side reflects an idyllic and serene Garden of Eden bathed in divine light, symbolizing the lost paradise. Rays of light emanate from the gateway marking the expulsion, starkly dividing the turbulent outside from the peaceful garden within. The use of light and shadow emphasizes the emotional gravity and divine judgment inherent in this biblical narrative, capturing the transition from innocence and purity to loss and suffering.
