The Body of Eve in Andrea Pisano’s ‘Creation’ Relief

In this study of one aspect of the iconography and style of Christian sculpture in the early Renaissance period, the author makes comparisons with mosaics of later 13-century date from Italy. These include the creation cycle depicted in the dome of the baptistery of Florence cathedral, and mosaics in one dome of the narthex of San Marco in Venice. In the mosaic examples, Eve is shown either fully formed after the extraction of Adam’s rib (fig. 4, 14), or she rises from the side of Adam, who lies upon the ground (fig. 1). In the latter case, the seemingly weightless Eve raises her hands in prayer toward God, and she and Adam form a Y-shaped design.