Cain and Abel: 1
Katie Meyer
12/16/2015
In 1610 Bartolomeo Manfredi started work on an oil painting titled “Cain and Abel.” He finished this work of art ten years later in 1620. Bartolomeo Manfredi was located in Florence, Italy. Artist were prosperous in Florence at this time. At this time Florence was under rule of the Medici family. They ruled from 1434-1737. In the 16th century, about 50 years before Manfredi began his work of art, the ruling party of the Medici family renounced republican rule and imposed tyranny over Florence. During this time the Medici rule expanded to Tuscany also.¹ The people of Florence were feeling betrayed by their leaders actions at this time and Manfredi related it back to the story of Cain and Abel. While the people of Florence trusted their leaders to run their territory fairly keeping in mind the wants of its people, the Medici’s turned their back on them and ruled over Florence the way they saw fit.
The painting Bartolomeo Manfredi created depicts the moment that Cain turns on Abel and murders his brother. Cain is depicted as a strong dominating power in the painting, seemingly healthy. Abel is pale, seemingly sick, while he was being dominated by his brother. There can be a parallel drawn between Cain and the Medici family the way they betrayed the people close to them. The people of Florence can be compared to Abel from the story with the way they were put in a position of powerlessness.
Looking at the sky in the background of this paint it is being engulfed by a black smog. Behind the smog is a blue sky. The blue sky represent the way life was before in both the time of Cain and Abel, and also in the time of Manfredi. Cain and Abel were able to live in harmony both working in their areas, and the people of Florence and the Medici family were able to work together to make Florence great. The smog taking over the sky represents a rise of an evilness in the world. In the time of Cain and Abel it is the rise of the Canaanites, in Florence it was the takeover of the Medici tyranny. The expanding smoke can also represent the spread of the Medici rule to Tuscany.
While the Medici family did betray the people of Florence they also did support the arts to a high degree.² During the Medici rule Florence was a wonderful place to be an artist. Because the environment supported Manfredi, he was able to create this piece of art not only depicting the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 but also depict recent event that had occurred in his city.
Britannica School, s.v. "Medici family," accessed December 17, 2015, http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/51736.
"Medici Family". 2015. In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide. Abington: Helicon. http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/heliconhe/medici_family/0
