Temptation (Adam and Eve)
Oil on Canvas
1912, 65.5" x 45.75"
St. Louis Art Museum

      Chagall plays with the style of Cubism in this painting but adds touches of naturalistic painting, such as the tree leaves as if to assert his independence from the Cubists. Apollinaire remarked that the painting was, 'a large decorative composition that reveals an impressive sense of color, a daring talent, and a curious and tormented soul.'
      The torment is less obvious and one notices a sense of playfulness in the figures who are full of motion like dancers, with smiling faces. The cheerful greens, pinks, and yellows add to the liveliness. So do the small happy animals peeking around the sides of the painting.

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