Backyard Garden of Eden

Lush, playful, and teeming with detail, this John O’Brien painting imagines an urban Garden of Eden tucked improbably behind a city apartment building. Exotic animals mingle with birds, plants, and people in a densely layered scene that rewards slow looking—each corner offering a new visual surprise or quiet joke.

Published in The New Yorker on August 5, 1991, the piece captures O’Brien’s gift for blending meticulous illustration with gentle absurdity. It’s a celebration of imagination, coexistence, and the idea that paradise doesn’t have to be distant or grand—it might be hiding right outside the back door. A standout example of The New Yorker’s iconic cover art tradition and O’Brien’s richly whimsical vision.

The work is 11.75" x 15.25" on 14.5" x 19" Bristol vellum paper, using radiant watercolor dyes. Excellent condition.