Murder scene (Abel’s death)

Unknown artist

In 1511 Dürer designed a woodcut that shows a murder scene that is commonly interpreted as “The Murder of Abel.” The cruel crime takes place on a bank below a tree. A naked man pushes his helpless adversary to the ground with his knee, grabbing the screaming man with his one hand at the elbow, while with the other he gets to the heir with a hatchet. Heller points out in 1827 that woodcut is very rare (cf. Heller Dürer 1827 II.538,1101), probably a reason for the reserved reception of artists and researchers.