Crispin van den Broeck
(1542–before 1591)

Two young men.

The younger of the two offers his friend an apple with the bottom up - a visual pun on the Biblical theme of Eve offering Adam the forbidden fruit. From behind the older man's head peers an eagle, an allusion to the myth of Zeus and Ganymede.*

* The representation of the eagle is reminiscent of a crow, a common mistake of early painters who did not always have access to accurate models.
Oil on panel.
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.

click image to enlarge