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The Sacrifice of Cain and Abel
(Renaissance Europe )
This plate is a companion piece to Walters 44.56. At the right Abel kneels in prayer before the small square altar on which the flame of his offering mounts straight heavenward, while his brother Cain, kneeling at left center, turns in dismay from his altar where the flames of his crop-offering do not mount. In the foreground Abel's sheep graze in the landscape. Above in the clouds God the Father, wearing a crown, appears to Abel who had offered "...the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings. But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect..." (Genesis 4:4-5).
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, no. 67; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/9/1965 | Treatment | loss compensation; cleaned |
| 10/14/1987 | Treatment | loss compensation; cleaned |
Geographies
France, Limoges (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Diam: 8 1/16 in. (20.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
44.45
