Cain Slaying Abel
The Met
Artist: Pier Francesco Mola(Italian, Coldrerio 1612–1666 Rome)
Date: ca. 1650–52
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 54 3/4 × 35 7/16 in. (139 × 90 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Alan M. May, in memory of his wife, Marcia W. May, and in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2020
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
One man attacks another with a club near a burning fire and a large tree
Detailed Description
A vertical painting depicts an outdoor scene with two men in the foreground. On the right, a muscular man with light skin and dark hair stands, wearing a light-colored loincloth. He holds a wooden club raised high above his head. His left hand firmly grasps the arm of another man who lies on the ground to his left. This second man, also with light skin and dark hair, is partially nude, wearing a similar loincloth. He is positioned on his back, with his arms raised, and a visible streak of red, possibly blood, is on his head and neck area. To the left of the figures, a large, dark tree with sparse brown foliage dominates the mid-ground. At the base of this tree, a bright fire burns, casting orange and red light. A thick column of grey smoke rises from the fire, partially obscuring the tree trunk and blending into the dark blue sky above. The background features a landscape with distant, blue-grey mountains under a dark blue sky filled with large, white and grey clouds. Some clouds are illuminated from an unseen light source, creating a stark contrast with the darker areas. The overall palette is dominated by dark blues, browns, and greens, punctuated by the bright fire and pale skin tones of the figures.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
