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This paper focuses on Amico Aspertini's engraving Genesis Scene with Fall, Expulsion, Adam and Eve after the Fall, and Abel's Sacrifice, a complex allegory that places a self-mirroring man in the middle of the events. The aim of the article is to highlight the general importance of the mirror motif in representations of the biblical story of Eden. On the one hand, the seduction of Eve was understood as a visual event and as an act of artful illusion. On the other hand, envy (invidia) or, alternatively, pride (superbia) was considered to be the reason for the original sin. And either personification had a mirror as its main attribute. Aspertini's engraving takes up this understanding of the fall to show that his own art and more generally all figurative imitations thrive on the productive tension between diabolic allurement and divine vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares T.S. Eliot's Sweeney Agonistes and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. Though these authors are not commonly thought of as bedfellows, it is argued that there are two overlapping concerns in the plays under discussion, namely, the idea of original sin and the significance of indeterminate endings. Unlike Eliot's, Beckett's idea of original sin is not (exclusively) the product of a Judaeo-Christian perspective, and does not necessarily imply transgression against some absolute law or being. His understanding of the consequences of original sin, however, is remarkably close to Eliot's, particularly in terms of his conception of time. In both plays there is a tendency towards stasis, which is best reflected in the unresolved endings. Eliot's and Beckett's respective inbuilt frustrations disrupt our habitual experiences and expectations in art, and their philosophy of original sin and use of indeterminate conclusions come together to loosen the grip convention has on audience and reader. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The biological colonization of mural paintings in rocky habitats is a widely recurring phenomenon and should be considered for restoration activities. In order to plan conservation treatment of the Crypt of the Original Sin (Matera, Italy), biodeterioration problems were analysed taking into account their impact on the substrate and their relationship with environmental factors. The mural paintings showed a phenomenology of alteration varying from brilliant green, dark green, brown, and black duff patinas with powdery aspect, to rosy discoloration. These phenomena were linked to different microbial colonizations by Cyanobacteria (Chlorogloea microcystoides, Chroococcus lithophilus, Gloeocapsa spp., Gloeothece rupestris, Pseudocapsa dubia) and green algae (Apatococcus lobatus, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorococcum sp., Muriella terrestris). The rosy discoloration was connected to pigment production by Actinobacteria related to Rubrobacter radiotolerans. Grey-green patinas, limited to more ventilated areas, were caused by lichen growth (Dirina massiliensis f. sorediata). Vascular plants (Adiantum capillus-veneris) were also detected in wall areas affected by rising damp. To control the growth of microflora, biocide treatment and intervention to reduce humidity and sunlight exposure of mural paintings were suggested. To choose the correct biocide, different products were tested, evaluating their efficiency on Cyanobacteria and algae as well as possible effects on the calcarenite stone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]