The Death Of Abel

Santiago Rebull is a significant painter of the 19th century Mexico. He contributed to the visual art corpus through his historical and religious artworks that belonged to the school of 19th century progressive academicism. Rebull underwent formal training at the Acadmia de San Carlos in Mexico City, where he was greatly impacted by European academic classicism as he was mentored by the Catalan painter Pelegrin Clave. Rebull emerged during a time when the academic institutions were promoting neoclassical discipline and narrative storytelling. The central themes in his paintings were surrounding biblical narratives, allegorical tales and historical stories. The Death Of Abel earned him a scholarship at the Academy of San Lucas in Rome. In Rome, Rebull developed his practice further by exploring the visual languages of the Italian renaissance and Baroque period. The Painting The Death Of Isabel depicts the first murder from a Judeo-Christian scripture; The Book Of Genesis. The murder is the biblical aftermath of Cains murder of Abel, instead of portraying the act, Rebull decides to showcase the moment after the murder takes place, emphasizing the tragedy, guilt and ethical consequences concerning the incident. Rebull formulates a dramatic composition due to his inclination towards the classical European Baroque and Renaissance aesthetics. Cain appears to be fleeing in a dynamic posture, while the colour palette amplifies the emotional structure of the whole setting. Certain Critics also interpret this conflict between Cain and Abel as a symbolic representation of the clashes occuring between the conservatives and liberals in the 19th century Mexico. Rebull demonstrates the mastery of European academic painting and historical dramaticism he achieved at a very early stage in his career through the artwork.