Cain kills Abel. Marble bas-relief on west front of cathedral in Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta. This sculpted scene is attributed to Lorenzo Maitani (c. 1275 - 1330), who designed the cathedral’s Late Gothic facade. Maitani is believed to have had direct input as a sculptor on two panels covering two of the facade’s four lower pilasters: one Maitani panel depicts scenes from the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, including the scene in this image.
Orvieto, Umbria, Italy: Cain kills Abel. One of the renowned Hebrew Bible / Old Testament marble bas-reliefs on the west front of the city’s cathedral, the Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta, attributed to Italian architect and sculptor Lorenzo Maitani (c. 1275 - 1330). Maitani established his reputation in Siena before being asked to supervise construction of Orvieto cathedral in 1308. He designed the cathedral’s Late Gothic facade and sculpture enriching it was executed by a team led by him. However, Maitani is believed to have had direct input as a sculptor on panels on two of the facade’s four lower pilasters: scenes from the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (first or left pilaster) and The Last Judgement (fourth or right pilaster), each sculpted in bas-relief and each unified by an ascending vine. The Hebrew Bible / Old Testament panel includes the scene in this image (second from top register of panel, on the right), together with the following scenes (starting with the panel’s lower register and going up): creation of fish, birds, mammals and plants; God creates Adam; God takes rib from sleeping Adam; God creates Eve; God forbids Adam and Eve to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; Eve tempts Adam with the forbidden fruit; Adam and Eve expelled from the Garden of Eden; Adam delves and Eve spins; (second from top register of panel, on the left) Cain and Abel make offerings to God; Naomi, mother-in-law of Ruth, teaches a child to read while Jubal, a descendant of Cain, creates music; and one of Adam’s sons with a compass or pair of compasses.
Size: 3860px × 2578px
Location: Cathedral, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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