Adam and Eve in the Garden

Referring to le Brocquy's preoccupation with the subject, Dorothy Walker writes: 'he treats the theme with archetypal imagery in a classical, even traditional manner, the sun and the moon appearing respectively in the male and female spheres. The tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil appears as in traditional French medieval tapestry with the birds and butterflies among its leaves, but he adds a surrealist aspect with eyes as well as leaves (as befits a tree of Knowledge) and fish swimming in its branches. In the style of drawing, the tapestry corresponds closely to the paintings of the period, particularly the figure of the man, which is closely related to Man Writing, 1951'.
Adam and Eve in the Garden is one of the artist's greatest achievements in the medium of tapestry and among the finest modernist works to be woven at Aubusson. A weaving of this edition is in the collection of the Ulster Museum, Belfast.