Cain and Abel
Original title: Cain and Abel
kurzbeschreibung
Odilon Redon made this etching, Kain und Abel, in 1886, taking up the biblical murder of one brother by the other. Executed in black and white, the plate measures 18.6 by 12.1 cm and presents two naked figures locked in a violent act.
Description
Two naked figures with cropped hair fill the sheet. The upper one leans forward and down, driving a stick toward the other to kill. Below, the second figure crouches low to the ground. A steep perspective pushes the arrangement forward and quickens the pace and force of the action.
Context
In 1886 Redon was working more and more with printmaking. The Genesis fratricide was among the motifs the nineteenth century returned to again and again, bound up with questions of guilt and human existence. Known for symbolist imagery, the artist takes a realistic approach here that sets this sheet apart from his fantastic subjects.
Impact
Clear lines and hard contrasts seize the eye at once and leave a heavy, oppressive feeling. The urgent layout makes the brutality of the moment tangible; one almost feels the violence in one's own body.
Technique
Etching means biting the plate with acid so that the lines emerge. Finely graded strokes and hatching produce the black-and-white effect and give the print depth and surface texture.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)