Artwork
Lamech and Cain
Lamech and Cain is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Lucas van Leyden. It dates from 1524 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Lucas van Leyden’s 1524 engraving *Lameh and Cain* presents a dramatic biblical episode in which the blind patriarch Lameh, led by a young guide, mistakenly kills his son Cain during a hunt. Rendered in black‑and‑white on laid paper, the composition captures the moment of tragic confusion within a stark, rocky landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The image visualises the Genesis narrative of Lameh’s accidental murder of Cain, emphasizing themes of blindness, misdirection, and unintended violence. By juxtaposing the towering, armed figure with the kneeling, reaching man, van Leyden underscores the tension between authority and vulnerability, inviting contemplation of fate and human error.
Technique & Style
Executed as an engraving, the design was incised into a copper plate, allowing van Leyden to achieve fine, precise lines and nuanced shading. The sharp hatching creates a sense of depth in the rocky terrain and foliage, while the contrast between light and dark models the muscular forms of the two men, exemplifying early 16th‑century Northern printmaking.
Context
Created during the early Renaissance in the Netherlands, the print reflects van Leyden’s role among the first Dutch artists to explore narrative, genre‑type subjects beyond purely religious commissions. His work contributed to the evolution of printmaking as a medium for detailed storytelling and for disseminating biblical themes to a broader audience.
History & Provenance
The engraving, dated 1524, remains a representative example of van Leyden’s print output. Original impressions are held in several European collections, where they continue to be studied for their technical innovation and as evidence of the artist’s influence on subsequent Dutch printmakers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
Salome with the head of St John the Baptist
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A Game of Chess
Mary with Child, St. Maria Magdalena and founder (separate outside, Inv. No. 7713)
Inner left wing of a diptych with Christ as the Man of Sorrows
Inner right wing of a diptych with the Virgin as Mater Dolorosa
Annunciation
