The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of May 6, 2024
Adam
1928
made at
(American, Ohio, Rocky River, 1912–1931)
(American, 1884–1957)
Overall: 35 x 26.7 x 8.2 cm (13 3/4 x 10 1/2 x 3 1/4 in.)
Educational Purchase Fund 1928.235.1
Location: not on view
Description
In a remarkable departure from tradition, this ceramic sculpture depicts Adam tempting Eve with the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. According to the Bible, it was Eve who offered Adam the apple which led to mankind's downfall, ushering sin and death into the world. Adam's loincloth indicates that he has become ashamed of his nudity, a sign of his fall from grace. This startling role reversal reflects Cowan's belief that men are more prone to moral temptation than women. In addition to its innovative iconography, the sculpture's rich color and elegant, rhythmic forms establish it as Cowan's finest work and a masterpiece of the American Art Deco aesthetic. Born to a family of potters in East Liverpool, Ohio, Cowan directed the Cowan Pottery studios in Lakewood (1912-17) and Rocky River (1919-32), Ohio. Cowan Pottery was among the foremost producers of American Art Deco pottery and ceramic sculpture. Cowan recruited many talented artists to work in his studios, including Thelma Frazier Winter, Edward Winter, Walter Sinz, Waylande Gregory, and Viktor Schreckengost.- Robinson, William H., et. al. Transformations in Cleveland Art, 1796-1946: Community and Diversity in Early Modern America. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1996. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 98Channing, Laurence, "Before Neo: The May Show", Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 45 no. 07, September 2005 Mentioned & reproduced: p. 5 archive.org
- Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 28-July 18, 2004).Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; March 28 - July 18, 2004. "Burchfield to Schreckengost: Cleveland Art of the Jazz Age", no exhibition catalogue.
- {{cite web|title=Adam|url=false|author=Cowan Pottery Studio, R. Guy Cowan|year=1928|access-date=06 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1928.235.1