It is surprising that such a significant passage was seldom represented pictorially, whereas there are many examples of the moment immediately after the expulsion from Paradise. Neither was it a frequent theme of the Bassano bottega, despite lending itself well to a display of masterful representation of animals. In fact, this is the only known version. Jacopo convincingly depicted the moment God discovered man´s disobedience, which led to his expulsion from Paradise. Faithfully following the text (Genesis, 3: 7-19), Jacopo reproduced the dialogue between God and Adam narrated in verses 9-II. Adam thus appears with the covering of fig leaves and Eve partially hidden behind a tree. The only detail which he took the liberty of inventing consisted in placing God in the heavens (the Bible states that He was walking in the garden), an extremely effective way of emphasising the fall of man and the distance, not only physical, that was established between God and Adam.

The attribution of the painting to Jacopo needs to be revised, as Francesco is largely to be credited for its execution, while his father created the composition and retouched the main figures, particularly Adam. The cold palette and more linear, less broken brushstrokes are uncharacteristic of Jacopo and more in keeping with Francesco´s style of the late 1570s. The varying quality of the treatment of the animals is also evident; suffice it to compare the lambs with those depicted in the Animals Entering the Ark (P22). It is not known how Philibert came to acquire this painting, but there is record of the Savoys´ early penchant for Bassano. Ridolfi mentioned Duke Charles, Philibert´s father, among Francesco´s clientele, and we know that during his stay in Venice in 1582, he bought three works from the painter: a Market, the Rape of the Sabine Women and the Forge of Vulcan, today housed at the Galleria Sabauda in Turin.

Falomir, Miguel, Los Bassano en la España del Siglo de Oro, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2001, p.96