Adam en Eva bewenen Abel 1525 - 1565

Nicolas Beatrizet created this engraving, “Adam and Eve Mourning Abel,” in the mid-16th century, a period marked by religious and social upheaval. Here we witness the immediate aftermath of fratricide. Adam and Eve, rendered with powerful, classical bodies, are overcome by grief over the slain Abel. In the background, we see Cain fleeing, the first murderer. The image encapsulates the moment innocence is lost, and the knowledge of good and evil brings with it unbearable sorrow. The drama of this biblical scene is heightened by Beatrizet’s detailed engraving technique, where the stark contrast between light and shadow emphasizes the raw emotion and physicality of the figures. The idealized forms of Adam and Eve contrast sharply with the brutality of their reality, highlighting the tension between the divine promise and the fallible nature of humanity. This work invites us to contemplate the origins of violence and the enduring cost of human frailty, reflecting both the religious anxieties and the humanistic concerns of the Renaissance.