The death of Abel, from a series of scenes of the Genesis with scrolling motifs and grotesque figures on black grounds
Etienne Delaune French
Not on view
Engraving, part of a repetition of a series of six scenes of the Genesis, surrounded by scrolling motifs and grotesque figures on black grounds, created by Étienne Delaune before 1573. This print represents Cain's murder of Abel in the center of the composition, framed by a sort of roundel made up of two laurel branches. On either side of the composition are the sacrifices of the brothers: on the left, Cain's sacrifices are made up of the firstborns of his flock; on the right, Abel's is made up of the fruits of earth, favored by God, as symbolized by three doves flying above them. The sacrifices rest on a kind of entablature that forms a kind of staircase on the sides of the central scene, possibly as a symbol for the effort necessary of men to elevate themselves spiritually. On the lower corners of the print are represented Adam and Eve, each sitting on a sphere or globe. This object, a common attribute for Saturn, Time, and Melancholy, might be a representation of the new mortal condition of men. But the sphere is also an attribute of fortune, possibly symbolizing the couple's submission to the hazards of fortune It is worth noting, however, that the danger of death is not visible in the same way in the two characters: while Adam seems to be almost at the verge of death, Eve, a child on her lap, seems lively and young, surrounded by blossoming nature, likely symbolizing her fecundity, and associating her to the blind profligacy of nature.