Cain Killing Abel
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 35.1 x 41.8 cm (13 13/16 x 16 7/16 in.) sheet: 36.5 x 44.5 cm (14 3/8 x 17 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.573
Art Historical Context
Behold the dramatic engraving *Cain Killing Abel* (c. 1589), created by Dutch artist Jan Muller after a design by Cornelis Cornelisz vanlem. This powerful print captures the biblical tragedy from Genesis, where Cain slays his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy, rendered with the intense emotion and elongated figures typical of Northern Mannerism—a style flourishing in late 16th-century Haarlem that emphasized stylized anatomy, dynamic poses, and moral storytelling. Muller's mastery of engraving on laid paper shines through in the intricate lines and rich tonal contrasts, which vividly convey t...