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Couple, possibly Adam and Eve, having sexual intercourse under tree

Date1930s

MediumGraphite on paper

Dimensionscomposition: 7 × 6 in. (17.8 × 15.2 cm)
sheet: 9 3/4 × 7 7/8 in. (24.8 × 20 cm)

Credit LineGift of Helen Farr Sloan, 2000

Object number2000-751

On View

Not on view

Label TextThroughout his career, Sloan made drawings of sexual encounters—some ribald and others earnest. Many of these appear to be set outdoors and may be referencing the story of Adam and Eve, as this one—with its prominent serpent—does. This Biblical story provided Sloan with the subject for a series satirical of cartoons for The Masses, "Adam and Eve—The True Story," which appeared in February and March of 1913.

Perhaps more surprising, Sloan kept his erotic drawings, and his widow did as well, eventually donating them to the Museum with thousands of other works.