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106
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Marten Pepyn (attributed to) Cain and Abel Oil on canvas 145…
See original version (Italian)
106
-
Marten Pepyn (attributed to) Cain and Abel Oil on canvas 145…
See original version (Italian)
Estimate €5,000 - €10,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Marten Pepyn (attributed to) Cain and Abel Oil on canvas 145 x 191 cm
An important composition on a biblical theme depicting the dramatic episode of Cain’s murder of Abel, as recounted in the Book of Genesis. The scene focuses on the violent clash between the two brothers, depicted with almost sculptural grandeur against a nocturnal landscape illuminated by intense lighting effects. Cain, captured in the act of delivering the fatal blow, dominates the composition with a powerful anatomical twist, whilst Abel lies sprawled on the ground in a pose of intense theatrical pathos.The work displays clear characteristics attributable to the Flemish painting tradition of the early seventeenth century and, in particular, to the style of Marten Pepijn, an artist active in Antwerp and best known for his large-scale historical and religious compositions. The vigorous construction of the figures, the sculptural modelling of the bodies and the strong chiaroscuro contrast indeed recall the Flemish tradition of Rubensian descent, still linked to late-Mannerist models but already moving towards a greater Baroque theatricality.The painting bears significant similarities to a version of the same subject held at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, attributed to Marten Pepijn, from which it takes the general composition of the struggle between the two brothers whilst introducing variations in the rendering of the landscape. The comparison highlights a shared compositional framework, characterised by the anatomical monumentality of the protagonists and the heightened dramatic tension of the scene.The anatomical rendering of the nudes is remarkable, modelled on Michelangelo and Northern European traditions, a feature typical of Flemish history painting from the first half of the 17th century. Set in a 19th-century frame.
See original version (Italian)
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