Cain Killing Abel
n.d.
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over traces of graphite, on buff laid paper, laid down on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
17.5 × 12.1 cm (6 15/16 × 4 13/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84098
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings department of the Institute of Chicago, visitors *Cain Killing Abel*, a compelling pen and brown ink drawing by the artist Frans Floris I (c. 1517–1570). Dated to an unknown moment in his career, this small-scale work (17.5 × 12.1 cm) captures the biblical drama from Genesis, where Cain slays his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy. Floris, a leading figure in 16th-century Antwerp Manner, drew inspiration from Italian Renaissance masters like Michelangelo, infusing his compositions with dynamic poses and emotional intensity. Executed over faint graphite underdrawing o...