106 - Marten Pepyn (attributed to)

Marten Pepyn (attributed to) Cain and Abel Oil on canvas 145 x 191 cm Important composition with a biblical subject depicting the dramatic episode of the killing of Abel by Cain, narrated in the book of Genesis. The scene focuses on the violent clash between the two brothers, depicted with almost sculptural monumentality within a nocturnal landscape illuminated by intense lighting effects. Cain, caught in the act of vibrating the fatal blow, dominates the composition with a mighty anatomical twist, while Abel lies sprawled on the ground in a pose of strong theatrical pathos.The work shows clear features traceable to the Flemish painting culture of the early seventeenth century and in particular to the language of Marten Pepijn, an artist active in Antwerp and known especially for his large historical and religious compositions. In fact, the vigorous construction of the figures, the plastic modeling of the bodies, and the strong chiaroscuro contrast recall the Flemish tradition of Rubensian descent, still linked to late Mannerist models but already oriented toward a greater Baroque theatricality.The canvas presents significant comparisons with a version of the same subject preserved at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, attributed to Marten Pepijn, from which it takes up the general setting of the fight between the two brothers while introducing variations in the construction of the landscape. The comparison shows a common compositional matrix, characterized by the anatomical monumentality of the protagonists and the accentuated dramatic tension of the scene.Remarkable is the anatomical rendering of the nudes, set according to models of Michelangelo and Nordic ancestry, a typical element of Flemish history painting of the first half of the 17th century. Within 19th-century frame.