France (Autun, Burgundy)

The Temptation of Eve Lintel Fragment by Gislebertus from the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare

2186

c. 1120–1132 CE; High Romanesque (12th Century)

A monumental architectural lintel fragment depicting a reclining nude figure of Eve stretched across the block: supporting her weight on her right elbow and knees, she twists outward toward the viewer while her left arm reaches backward to pluck forbidden fruit from a heavily laden branch bent downward by a segmented clawed hand representing the serpent. Dense stylized botanical ornamentation, serrated foliage, and hanging fruit clusters fill the background spaces. Celebrated as one of the earliest monumental reclining female nudes in post-classical Western sculpture.