Otto van Rees worked in a variety of styles during his career, from Cubism to Expressionism and Dada. In the 1910s, Van Rees emphasized the two-dimensional plane in his paintings, and looked to Ancient Egyptian and Japanese art for the representation of depth. He painted the theme of Adam and Eve several times in this period. Here he has depicted them in profile as a couple sitting comfortably together. The natural elements have a geometric stylization and are sharply delineated. The snake (as symbol of evil) and the tree are absent. Van Rees depicts the idyll before the Fall, and symbolizes man’s lost unity with nature.