Lamech en zijn twee vrouwen 1583

Johann Sadeler I made this print, "Lamech and his Two Wives", at the end of the 16th century. It shows a scene from Genesis: Lamech, a descendant of Cain, confesses to his wives that he has killed a man. Sadeler was Netherlandish, and prints such as these were vital to the international circulation of artistic ideas in Europe. The composition displays a sophisticated understanding of Italian Renaissance art, but the landscape in the background would have seemed familiar to people in the Netherlands. There is a detailed depiction of a townscape that gives the scene a social and economic context. By including the figure of Cain being banished in the background, the artist draws a parallel with the story of Lamech. By looking at the book of Genesis, we can better understand the artist's narrative intention. We can reflect on how stories such as these, popularized through prints like this one, have shaped the social and moral values of the Western world.