The Fall of Man (Poulakis)

The Fall of Man
Greek: Πτώση του Aνθρώπου,
Italian: Caduta Dell'uomo
ArtistTheodore Poulakis
Yearc. 1640–1692
Mediumtempera on wood
MovementHeptanese School
SubjectThe Fall of Man
Dimensions62.5 cm × 79 cm (24.6 in × 31.1 in)
LocationCollection of Dimitris Kontominas, Athens, Greece
OwnerCollection of Dimitris Kontominas

The Fall of Man is a tempera painting by Theodore Poulakis. Poulakis was a Greek Baroque artist. He was a painter and teacher. He flourished during the Late Cretan School and the Heptanese School. He is often regarded as the father of the Heptanese School. His painting career was from 1635 to 1692. He was living in Venice at the age of 24. He mastered painting while he lived in the city. He was involved in the quarantia. He traveled all over the Ionian Islands and eventually settled on the island of Corfu. He also frequently returned to Venice. Over 130 of his paintings have survived. They can be found in Greece and Italy.[1][2]

Adam and Eve have been depicted in Greek Italian art since the dawn of the new Christian religion. Countless painters adopted the subject matter. In the 16th century, a French goldsmith and engraver named Étienne Delaune created a series of old testament engravings. His work circulated Europe and in the 17th-century Venetian engraver and printer Stefano Scolari (1640 - 1691) replicated his work. The prints circulated throughout the Venetian world. Poulaki integrated Delaune's work in his paintings. One specific example was Poulaki's In Thee Rejoiceth . The artist used some of Delaune's engravings as inspiration for the masterpiece specifically in the upper portion. The Fall of Man is not an identical replica of an engraving by Delaune but it was inspired by his work. The work later inspired a similar painting by Greek painter Konstantinos Kontarinis. The Fall of Man is part of the Collection of Dimitris Kontominas in Athens, Greece. The painting was formerly part of the collection of Count Cesare Cicogna Mozzoni and Countess Annamaria Volpi di Misurata in Venice.[3]

  1. ^ Hatzidakis, Manolis; Drakopoulou, Evgenia (1997). Έλληνες Ζωγράφοι μετά την Άλωση (1450–1830). Τόμος 2: Καβαλλάρος – Ψαθόπουλος [Greek Painters after the Fall of Constantinople (1450–1830). Volume 2: Kavallaros – Psathopoulos]. Athens: Center for Modern Greek Studies, National Research Foundation. pp. 304–317. hdl:10442/14088. ISBN 960-7916-00-X.
  2. ^ Eugenia Drakopoulou (June 7, 2022). "Poulakis (Pulachi, Pulaki) Theodoros (Theodoro, Thodoro)". Institute for Neohellenic Research. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  3. ^ Staff Writers (June 7, 2022). "Adam and Eve Eating of the Forbidden Fruit". Baltimore Museum of Art. Retrieved June 7, 2022.