| Adam and Eve | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Tamara de Lempicka |
| Year | 1932 |
| Medium | Oil onpanel |
| Dimensions | 116 cm × 73 cm (46 in × 29 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
Adam and Eve is a 1932oil-on-panel painting by thePolish painterTamara de Lempicka. It is in theArt Deco style and depicts a male nude embracing a female nude holding an apple. In the background are stylizedskyscapers. The painting is 116 by 73 centimetres (46 by 29 in) and is housed in a private collection.
Lempicka was fond of repeating stories about the creation ofAdam andEve. The inspiration for this painting arose when a professional female model took a break to eat an apple. Lempicka asked her to hold the pose and started to sketch. She then invited a policeman who was making his rounds in the streets to pose for Adam.[1] Lempicka contrasts the natural beauty of human bodies with a barren, industrious cityscape.[2]
The painting previously belonged toBarbra Streisand, who acquired it around 1986 for $135,000. On March 3, 1994,Christie's held a dedicated sale of Streisand's collection, includingAdam and Eve, which sold for $1,982,500, at the time, setting a record price for the artist at auction. Streisand toldThe New York Times, "We screamed when the Lempicka price went over $1 million ... I was working out with my exercise teacher and when the bidding went over the top I screamed."[3]
The work is currently in a private collection.
In December 1993,Architectural Digest featured Streisand's Art-Deco-inspiredMalibu home; the front cover of the issue included an image of Streisand andAdam and Eve.[4]
In 1996, the movieFirst Wives Club includedAdam and Eve. In the film, the painting belongs to Elise Eliot-Atchison, played byGoldie Hawn.