Georg Petel, Adam and Eve

According to the Bible, Eve offered the apple to Adam. In this ivory figurine, the young German sculptor Georg Petel switches the roles. It is one of the rare occasions the German was not directly inspired by Rubens. Although there was still a link with Rubens: Petel gave the figurine as a gift to his mentor, who was only too happy to add it to his private collection.

In this sculpture, the artist depicts the moment just after the fall of the first couple. Interestingly, he doesn't point to Eve, but her husband, as the guilty party. Adam still has the apple in his hand. Suddenly aware of her nakedness, Eve covers her womanhood. Adam looks intently at his wife, holding her.   

Just about every element departs from the creation story and Rubens' Biblical visual language. Is that why it appealed to him so much? Rubens owned two other sculptures by Petel: a saltshaker and a crucifix. Although these were based on designs by Rubens.   

Either way, Rubens must have been impressed by his friend's talent. Petel was from Augsburg, but spent some time in Antwerp after 1624. The two worked intensively together there. Rubens produced designs for Petel, and Petel worked in Rubens' style. The Rubens Factory was therefore more than just painting. Rubens' enterprising side spotted opportunities in the market.  

Georg Petel was a master at working fragile ivory. Ivory arrived in the port city of Antwerp via Portuguese traders. Side note: in Rubens' day, elephants were not yet a protected species. Petel adapted to the limited dimensions and curvature of an elephant's tusk, in this case clearly visible through Adam's pose and the bent tree. The rear side was deliberately left open so the work could be placed against a canvas.    

Rubens had a soft spot for unusual materials. He himself had an elephant tusk in his collection and after his death, a batch of ivory from his estate was sold to an Antwerp-based sculptor. Besides his passion for antique sculptures, Rubens was therefore also a fan of contemporary sculpture. Moreover, Petel wasn't his only favourite sculptor. His collection also included sculptures by Lucas Faydherbe and Artus Quellinus, among others, also often after his designs.