Adam and Eve Lamenting over the Corpse of Abel, plate 6 from History of the First Parents of Man, set of six prints
Jan Saenredam; Abraham Bloemaert
Description
Gallery Rotation Winter 2014
Jan Saenredam
Netherlands, 1565–1607
Adam and Eve Lamenting over the Corpse of Abel, plate six from History of the First Parents of Man, set of six prints
1604
Engraving on thin, slightly textured dark cream laid paper
Museum purchase made possible by the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund, 1996/2.3
Unlike Rembrandt’s etching (adjacent), Saenredam’s engraving is more uniformly finished and the composition is more controlled and contained. The careful delineation and sculptural quality of the figures stands in sharp contrast to the sketchiness and diffused focus of Rembrandt’s work. In the foreground, Adam and Eve kneel over the body of their son, Abel, who has been murdered by his brother, Cain. As in Rembrandt’s print, the tree is a central feature of the composition. It frames the central group, its branches complementing the dramatic gestures of the lamenting parents below. Several other scenes from the Old Testament are incorporated along the margins, guiding the viewer around the composition. This engraving belongs to a series of prints titled The History of the First Parents of Man executed by Saenredam after designs by the Dutch artist Abraham Bloemaert (1564–1651), an example of whose work may be seen on the other side of the case.
Subject Matter:
Derived from the Old Testament story (Genesis 4) of the death of Abel at Cain’s hands, Saenredam imagines the moment when Adam and Eve find the corpse of their youngest son. In the background, along a path leading to the corpse, two scenes that precede the main scene are visible. In the very back, Cain and Abel bring offerings to God on separate altars, and only Abel’s offering rises into the air showing that it is pleasing to God. The next scene along the path shows Cain raising a weapon in the air to murder his struggling brother. In the foreground, only Adam, Eve, and Abel’s corpse are visible: Cain is nowhere to be seen. The fact that the figures are clothed—albeit scantily—alludes to Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve committed what Christians interpret as the Original Sin by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. As a result of Original Sin, Adam and Eve suddenly had shame at their naked bodies. Adam and Eve must no doubt feel some responsibility in the death of their son, as their Original Sin made sin in Cain possible. This trio of figures also evokes a lamentation over Christ's body. Perhaps the absence of Cain is meant to remind the viewer of the ultimate guilt of Adam and Eve.
Physical Description:
This engraving is a vertical format. Dominating the foreground are three figures on a slight hill with a large tree. In front of the tree is the corpse of Abel (a strong young man with flowing cloth around his waist) with his head in the shadows. Kneeling over him are Adam and Eve. Adam, a muscular older man with a white beard, clutches his hands together and leans toward his dead son. Eve, covered only from the waist down, throws her arms out in the air above her son and moves towards him on her knees. The tree behind them has a sturdy trunk that splits into three heavy branches and these limbs echo the placement of Eve's back and right arm. On the right is a road leading to a background scene.In the far background Cain and Abel are shown making offerings to God on altars, with Abel’s offering rising higher than Cain’s. In the middle ground along the road, Cain is shown raising a weapon to kill Abel. At the bottom of the work are four lines of text and a signature.
Usage Rights:
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