Prints and Drawings Room
View by appointment- Artist
- Frederic, Lord Leighton 1830–1896
- Medium
- Wood engraving on paper
- Dimensions
- Image: 178 × 159 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by Gilbert Dalziel 1924
- Reference
- A00731
Display caption
This design illustrates the story of the first two sons of Adam and Eve, Cain a farmer and Abel a shepherd. The brothers sacrifice the products of their labour to God: Cain offers meat from his flock and Abel the results of his harvest. But God was more pleased with Abel’s offering, and Cain’s jealousy results in the brutal murder of his brother, shown here.
Leighton suffered from producing such detailed work; he wrote to the Dalziels, ‘I very much regret I find that the minute work – which I cannot satisfy myself – on these drawings has proved terribly trying to my eyes’.
Gallery label, July 2008
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