The Paradise

landscape

The painter based his depiction of the Paradise on the opening page of the Bible translated by Luther and decorated with woodcuts by Lucas Cranach. Several of the small scenes, such as the creation of Eve and the expulsion from Paradise, were also taken from Cranach's Bible illustrations. The little roundel stands out for the description of the landscape.

Loading map…

About the Artist

Herri met de Bles

1510 – 1550

Netherlandish painter of landscapes with figures. He is an enigmatic figure presumed to be one and the same as the Herri Patenier who entered the Antwerp Guild in 1535. Herri met de Bles, as van Mander informs us, is simply a nickname meaning 'Herri with the white forelock', and it is generally assumed that he was a relation of Joachim Patenier, who certainly had a decisive influence on his work. No signed or documented work by Herri exists, but a small group of distinctive works has been ascribed to him, characterized by panoramic landscapes dominating the figure groups in the manner of Patenier. His work was popular with Italian collectors, who called him 'Civetta' (little owl) because he often included owls in his pictures.

View all works →