Original Sin, from the Chapter House in Sigena

This Original Sin scene is from the monumental mural cycle of the Chapter House at the Royal Monastery of Sigena in Aragon, painted around 1200 by the Master of the Sigena chapter house. The cycle is one of the most artistically accomplished Romanesque-Gothic painting ensembles in Europe, showing strong stylistic connections to English manuscript illumination, particularly the Winchester Bible. The murals were severely damaged in a 1936 fire during the Spanish Civil War.

Painted in fresco and secco on the chapter house walls, the scene features expressive figural drawing with elegant, flowing contours that reveal the artist's training in Anglo-Norman manuscript traditions. Rich earth pigments and blue-green accents create a vivid narrative composition against a plain ground.