Cain And Abel Oil On Canvas 17th Century

Features

Artwork title:  Caino e Abele

Artistic school:  Central-Italian school

Age:  17th Century / 1601 - 1700

Subject:  Biblical scene

Artistic technique:  Painting

Technical specification:  Oil on Canvas

Description : Caino e Abele

Oil on canvas. Central-Italian school. Of great scenic impact, the painting tells the episode of the Book of Genesis whose protagonists are the brothers Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve and therefore the first born from human loins. Cain, a farmer, since God had refused the fruits of his harvest in favour of the lambs sacrificed by the shepherd Abel, kills his brother. The two thus became respectively the first man to be born and the first to die, as well as the first martyr in sacred history. They are also considered as the archetype of fratricide: their story has been widely told in literature and pictorial art mainly in this capacity. In the painting proposed here, which depicts the culminating and tragic moment of the killing, the two figures fill up the scene, like two contrasting figures: Cain is standing, with dark skin and hair, a grim look, animated by intense heat as he raises his club ready to strike; Abel is on the ground, vainly trying to protect himself, pale in his already mortal complexion, his eyes wide open in an expression of terror. The particular effectiveness of the faces, especially Abel's in the skilful perspective, refers to the work of Giuseppe Diamantini (1621-1705). Between the two bodies, the light of the bonfire shines, which refers to the sacrificial pyre further back on the left, from which an intense fire blazes, a symbol of the divine presence from which the act of Cain can not escape. The rendering of the draperies that follow the movements of the bodies is also effective. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a decorated frame in style.

Product Condition:
Fair condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Any damage or loss is displayed as completely as possible in the pictures. Product with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lawful Origin.

Frame Size (cm):
Height: 190
Width: 145
Depth: 8

Artwork dimensions (cm):
Height: 164
Width: 119