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In the Beginning: Art from the Book of Genesis

In the Beginning: Art from the Book of Genesis

In the Beginning: Art from the

Cain and (Genesis 4)

Julian Bell (British, (1952-), and Abel, 2015 Genesis 4

4 Now knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Look, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the , . Reflection

Sibling rivalry is a reality of life. For those who have a sibling or two, it starts young. Like the first-grader who came home and proudly reported to her dad she was now officially a "Brownie." Not to be outdone, her three-year-old brother rushed up and proudly announced he was a cupcake!

It is easy then to make this story, the story of , into a story about . The book of Genesis is about relationships, it is often said, and Cain and Abel, the first two siblings, stand at the head of a long line of brothers and sisters who couldn’t get along. But the story of Cain and Abel is about more than family, about more than jealousy and anger, about more even than the first murder. It is, like the rest of the , first and foremost about . Indeed, if Genesis is about relationships, the chief relationship it concerns is the relationship between humanity and God.

That God is at the center of this story can be seen in the fact that the dispute between the brothers arose in response to their making to God. While surely we expect that this was not the first time tension arose between the two brothers, it was after the two had made their offerings to God that their rivalry exploded into fratricide.

Genesis chapter 4 relates the story: “In the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.”

It’s strange. Why did God reject Cain’s worship? Cain was worshiping the one true God, not an idol. Did Cain just choose the wrong item on the menu, the wrong thing to – the fruit of the ground instead of the firstborn of the flock?

Some argue that Cain’s offering failed because it wasn’t a blood sacrifice, and only bloodshed can atone for sin (:22). So Cain approached God with nothing to cover his guilt. The problem with that view is that neither brother’s offering here was meant to atone for sin. These brothers were bringing to God not atonement but an “offering,” that is, devotion, thanks, tribute. In fact, later, in Leviticus, God tells the people of Israel that grain offerings are acceptable and appropriate for that purpose. So Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground wasn’t the problem.

The fact that we cannot see, in the biblical text, why God rejected Cain is the point. The difference between Cain and Abel was not visible. If we had been standing there that day, we might have been as perplexed as Cain was. But God did see something. There is a hint in verses 3-4: “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.”

Cain offered some of his harvest, but Abel gave the firstborn of his flock, and their fat portions too – the tastiest parts. In fact, another translation of the verse reads, “and Abel, he also brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock.” In other words, Cain threw a tip on the table, but Abel gave his best. Cain gave out of his profit, but Abel gave out of his capital. Cain made a gesture of thanks, but Abel risked his future growth potential by giving God some of his breeding stock. The difference between these two men was the difference between tokenism and love, and God took it seriously. From the beginning the Sons and Daughters of God have been set apart by their wholehearted worship, setting no preconditions on God, but offering themselves as living sacrifices for his glory.

The apostle John in the New Testament takes the next step, connecting our wholehearted worship of God with how we treat one another: “This is the message that we have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:11-12). Again, what separated the offerings of Cain and Abel was not what they offered but how each brother offered them. Cain’s deeds were evil because they rose from a jealous and mean-spirited heart. But Abel offered his sacrifice out of gratitude.

And that makes all the difference. Our ability to give to God, our sense of gratitude and our generosity to God, overflows into our treatment of others, into our honoring and gratitude to and for others. Likewise, our stinginess and ingratitude to God cannot help but be reflected in our mistreatment of others, our taking others for granted. The vertical and the horizontal always connect. Those who truly love God also love one another. Cain and Abel are a vivid, and tragic, illustration of this truth.

Artistic Illumination

Bacchiacca (Francesco d'Ubertino) (Italian, 1495– 1557), Eve with Cain and Abel, 1520s

While it is easy for us today to dismiss criminals, especially murderers, as something not human, something alien or lesser than the rest of humanity, it is important to remember that both the victims of crime and the perpetrators of crime were at one time children, with parents and extended family. Here, our study of Cain and Abel in art begins appropriately with paintings of the brothers from when they were infants, clutching to their mother and playing with a ball.

Lorenzo De Ferrari (Italian, 1680- 1744), with the Infants Cain and Abel, 18th century Edward Knippers (American, 1946-), The Sacrifice of Cain, 2002

It is unlikely that the and sense of inadequacy had no precursor in the family interactions. Yet it was the matter of an offering, the offering of first fruits to God, that precipitated the heinous act. As Knippers portrays here, the sacrifices were quite different in weight—Abel a young lamb, Cain a handful of turnips!

Edward Knippers (American, 1946-), Abel’s Sacrifice, 2001

Laszlo Hegedus (Hungarian, 1870-1911), Kain and Abel, 1899

Here the painter gives Abel (facing us) a self-righteous sneer, while Cain (the one with the bare backside) has red hair, symbolizing anger.

Andrei Nikolaevich Miranov (Russian, 1975-), Cain and Abel, 2015

Note the naiveté and earnestness of Abel’s face and the look of resentment and hurt on the face of Cain.

John Reilly (1928-2010), Cain and Abel, 1958 Cain’s fenced farmland, under intensive cultivation, and Abel’s extensive sheep runs are clearly delineated in the rolling landscape. The acceptance of Abel’s gift of a sacrificial lamb is represented by a bright and open area in which he and his herds are placed, with a vortex of light representing God’s acceptance of his gift, which descends from heaven and bathes him in its glow. Cain, in contrast, is in a closely defined, darker area, with his rejected sheaf of corn. He directs a murderous look at Abel while digging his land. Reilly has placed his portrayal of Cain and Abel at the point between the gifts to God and the murder. Cain’s anger and hate are visibly conveyed by his demeanor, look and stocky stature (in stark contrast to Abel’s tall, willowy grace).

Jan van Eyck (Flemish, c1390-c1440), The : The Offering of Abel and Cain and Cain and Abel (1425-29)

(Left) Abel offers a lamb, while Cain picks up a sheaf of wheat. (Right) Grinning, bearded Cain kneels on Abel and chokes him while raising a jawbone to strike him. Clean shaven Abel, lying helplessly on the ground, leans his head back in pain and cries out loudly in vain. Unknown artist, Holkam Bible Picture Book--The Murder of Abel, his burial and the punishment of Cain, c1320-30

(Upper left) Cain the farmer kills Abel, carrying a staff, with the jawbone of an ass. (Lower left) Cain buries Abel. (Right) God confronts Cain.

Lucas van Leyden (Dutch, 1494-1533), Cain Killing Abel, 1529 Sebastiano Ricci (Italian 1659-1734) and Marco Ricci (Italian, 1676-1729), Cain Smiting Abel with God’s Expulsion of Cain from the , 18th century

While an artistic masterpiece, this piece has a problematic title, in that, as Adam and Eve had already been exiled from the Garden of Eden and thus their children, which came later, had no experience in the Garden. Cain’s exile was to roam restlessly throughout the whole of the earth.

Circle of Jan Gossaert (Flemish, 1478-1532), Cain and Abel Edward Knippers (American, 1946-), Cain and Abel

Peter Paul Ruben (Dutch, 1577-1640), Cain Slaying Abel, c1608 Titian, or Tiziano Vecelli (Italian, 1488-1576, Cain and Abel, 1570

While it is not stated explicitly what Cain used to slay his brother, there is a long artistic tradition of identifying the weapon as the jawbone of a ass. This would connect with the later use of the instrument by Samson. At the same time, it would amplify Cain’s unthankfulness by using what could be the remains of Abel’s offering to kill his brother. That said, one imagines it more likely that Cain would use a branch/club or a rock (as in these two paintings) or, in extremis, his bare hands (as in the next page).

Jacopo Palma (Italian, 1480-1528), Cain Slaying Abel, 1590 French school, Cain and Abel, 19th century

This painting captures the death blow as it happens to Abel, with Cain having just struck with his fist and Abel in mid-collapse. The heinous deed is done.

F.E. McWilliam (Northern Irish, 1909-92), Cain and Abel, 1952 Gustave Doré (French, 1832-83), The Death of Abel, 1866

This is

Gustave Moreau (French, 1826-98), Cain, 1886 Pietro Novelli (Italian, 1603-1647), Cain Killing Abel, mid-17th century

In the two paintings here (and the two above), the darkness of the background and paleness of Novelli’s figures suggests a gothic air, appropriate for the subject matter—the first murder.

Pietro Novelli (Italian, 1603-1647), Cain Fleeing from the Body of Abel, mid-17th century

Note the red “string” of blood flowing from Abel’s head, his life thus has unraveled. De Scott Evans (American, 1847-98), War, The First Discord, Cain and Abel, 1877-89

The text of Genesis 4 is not explicit regarding the time duration of the actions—e.g. how soon after the offering did Cain slay Abel?—nor does it indicate the ages of the two brothers when Cain killed Abel. While it is an artistic convention to make Cain a robust man in the height of his strength and Abel a callow youth, there is nothing in the text to confirm that. Indeed, as these artists suggest, the brothers may be much younger. If true, the young ages suggest not just a crime of passion but more profoundly the corruption of youth, and the end of innocence. This adds a further level of horror to the story.

Andrea Schiavone (Croatian-Italian, 1510-63), Cain and Abel, 1555 Giovanni Domenico Ferretti (Italian, 1692-1768, Cain and Abel, 1740

As in the painting below, the artist here foreshortens the story by bringing God’s confrontation with Cain to the moment after Cain has slain Abel, which has itself occurred in the midst of their offerings.

Michiel Coxcie (Belgian, 1499-1592), The Death of Abel, after 1539

The artist here 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 the artist, especially in Abel´s robust body, which is taken directly from the figure of Christ in Michelangelo´s Last Judgement at the Sistine Chapel.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825–1905), , 1888

Adam and Eve mourn over their son Abel’s death: Abel’s body lies on Adam’s knees, while Eve covers her face with her hands and weeps in Adam’s embrace. Adam puts his hand on his heart, expressing his unbearable pain. The dark clouds in the background intensify the tragedy of the scene.

These two paintings highlight for the viewer the fact that the fratricide is not just an offense against Abel, but also against their family. The murder of Abel brings death concretely into the world, as predicted by God in Genesis 3. Note the pathos of the grieving Adam and Eve.

Jean-Jacques Henner (French, 1829-1905), Adam and Eve discovering the body of Abel, 1858 (British, 1757-1827), The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve, c1836

This work shows Adam and Eve discovering their dead son, as his brother Cain, the murderer, flees the scene. Despite his evil deed, Cain, appears as an ideal male figure. Here, Blake’s approach suggests that someone’s appearance is often ‘better than his actions,’ yet in performing an evil act the person could become disfigured, perhaps explaining Cain’s contorted body. Blake’s use of the body to invoke self- loathing, fear and, in the case of Eve, despair may be closer to pathognomy - a way of reading emotions in faces.

David Scott (Scottish, 1806-1849), Cain Degraded (Remorse), 1831 The Curse of Cain

When Cain spilled his brother's blood, the earth became cursed as soon as the blood hit the ground. In a sense, the earth was left "drinking Abel's blood." Genesis 4:12 gives a two-part sentencing for Cain's curse. The first concerns the earth that was cursed by Abel's blood. Should Cain attempt to farm the land, the earth would not yield produce for him. This may imply why he went on to build cities, namely the City of . The second part of the curse marks Cain as a fugitive and a wanderer. Modern interpretations of the Hebrew verse 12 suggest that Cain went on to live a nomadic lifestyle and that he was also excluded from the family unit.

There is also the matter of the “mark of Cain.” The Hebrew word for “mark” could mean a sign, an omen, a warning, or a remembrance. Whatever form it took, the mark of Cain is a sign of God's promise to offer Cain divine protection from premature death with the stated purpose of preventing anyone from killing him. We can assumed then that the mark was visible. Among Jewish rabbis, it has been suggested that God gave Cain a dog, making him an example to murderers, or that God made a horn grow out of Cain, or that the mark was one of the Hebrew letters of the Name of God. Among Christians, Syriacs (Christians in Syria), early on interpreted the "curse" and the "mark" with black skin, although not in a racial sense. Similarly, in an Eastern Christian (Armenian) Adam-book (5th or 6th century), it is written: "And the Lord was wroth with Cain. . . He beat Cain's face with hail, which blackened like coal, and thus he remained with a black face.” Again, this indicated that his face, not his body, had been changed, and that this change had no bearing on any racial or ethnic group. However, at some point, namely after the start of the slave trade in the United States, some Protestant denominations began teaching the belief that the mark of Cain was a dark skin tone, an assertion, coupled with a conflation of the curse of Ham from Genesis 9, that supported the institution of slavery. No scholar or denomination contends today that the mark of Cain has any connection to ethnicities or races.

Edwin Roscoe Mullins (British, 1849- 1907), Cain, or My Punishment is Greater Henri Vidal (French, 1864-1918), than I can Bear, c1899 Cain, 1896

Fernand Cormon (French, 1845-1924), Flight of Cain, 1880

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