Probably inspired by two woodcuts from 1511 and 1519 by the German artist Hans Baldung, called Grien, this drawing may be the earliest known depiction of the Fall of Man by Gossaert on paper. Apart from certain motifs, such as Eve's bent arm holding the forbidden fruit, it is also the sensuality of the scene that is akin to Baldung's work, here enhanced by a melancholy atmosphere, as if Adam and Eve perceive the consequences of their weakness. The use of colored paper and white heightening is also reminiscent of German examples. The high finish suggests that the drawing was made as an autonomous work. Notwithstanding its pronounced Northern character, the drawing also reveals a debt to Italian sources - the motif of Adam's crossed legs is taken from an engraving by Jacopo de' Barbari and Adam leaning against a tree from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi. (http://www.metmuseum.org)