The Death of Abel by Michiel Coxie, Genesis 4:8-16, Bible.Gallery
Artwork Description
According to the Book of Genesis (Gen. 1: 4, 3-12), Adam´s sons each made offerings to the Lord, who was pleased with Abel´s but not with Cain´s. Jealous of his brother, Cain slew Abel, suffering the ire of God and banishment. As tradition has it, Abel was beat to death with the jawbone of an ass. Michiel Coxcie chose to depict the moment immediately following the crime. Abel lies on his back with the jawbone on his body while, from Heaven, God banishes Cain. In the background are two fires with the two offerings. Abel´s, which was pleasing to the Lord, is larger, as the goods he offered were the finest he had, unlike the poor selection offered by Cain. The work shows the influence of Italian painting on Coxcie, especially in Abel´s robust body, which is taken directly from the figure of Christ in Michelangelo´s Last Judgement at the Sistine Chapel. Despite the fact that Coxcie was one of Felipe II´s favorite painters, this painting didn´t appear in Spain until 1746, as part of the collection of Isabel de Farnesio.