Showrooms

Adam and Eve

Description
This drawing is attributed to John Landis, an eccentric artist who worked in and around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Born in Hummelstown, Dauphin County, to devout Lutheran parents, Landis took up painting with a religious fervor. He also published numerous books expressing his beliefs, including in 1839 Discourse on the Depravity of the Human Family, in which he bragged, "I may say I was born a painter, poet and man of genius." Landis traveled to Europe in 1833 and to Palestine in 1845. He was supposedly found wandering in the desert and was escorted to the American consulate in Alexandria. Landis is said to have died in a Pennsylvania almshouse. See Frances Lichten, “John Landis, Author, Artist and Oriental Tourist,” Pennsylvania Folklife, Vol. 9. no. 3, 1958, pp. 8-17.

Origin:	United States, Pennsylvania
Period:	19th Century
Materials:	Watercolor and ink on wove paper
Condition:	Good.
Creation Date:	c. 1840
Styles / Movements:	Folk Art
Incollect Reference #:	603503