Adam Ploughing, from "The Dance of Death"

Adam Ploughing, from "The Dance of Death" by Hans Holbein the Younger is an exemplary woodcut print created between 1521 and 1538, forming part of his renowned series illustrating the universality of mortality. Produced during a pivotal era of the Northern Renaissance, the woodcut series served as a powerful visual commentary on theological and social structures, reminding viewers that Death levels all classes, including the original patriarch, Adam.

This specific scene portrays the punishment of Adam following the expulsion from Eden. The composition is grounded in human toil: Adam, shown in intense physical labor, struggles behind a plow while two oxen strain against their burden. The figure of Death, represented by a skeleton, acts as an ironic assistant, actively driving the oxen forward and setting the relentless pace of Adam's shortened life. Younger employs meticulous detail to convey the harshness of the rural environment and the spiritual burden carried by humanity.

In the background, the artist subtly integrates the continuation of life amid suffering. A woman, likely Eve, is depicted attending to their children; she is shown in the essential act of nursing an infant, while another child watches the scene of strenuous labor. This inclusion of women and infants emphasizes that the consequence of the Fall encompasses the entire human experience, transforming even the nurturing aspects of existence into a struggle.

Holbein the Younger’s mastery of the woodcut technique is evident in the precise linework and dramatic tonal contrasts, defining forms effectively despite the print's small scale. This enduring and highly influential print is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains a crucial example of early modern graphic arts, accessible worldwide as a key artifact of humanistic and religious expression.