Capital: God Confronts Cain, Detail
latitude: ·
longitude: ·
zoom:

Image Details
old-fashioned flower design element

ID
453
Title
Capital: God Confronts Cain, Detail
credit
Holly Hayes
Resolution
2592 x 3888 px (10 MP)
Camera
Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
focal length
70mm
Date Taken
June 4, 2008
Date Added
November 11, 2009
Last Updated
February 17, 2026

Image: Capital: God Confronts Cain, Detail

Detail of the dead Abel on a Romanesque capital from the choir, now displayed in the chapter house. It depicts a moment in the biblical story of Cain, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. Here God asks Cain where his brother is and he replies, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain puts his hand on his hip in a gesture of defiance. Behind him, the feet of Abel's body can be seen sticking out of the bushes, revealing the true answer to God's question. Around the corner on the side of the capital is the rest of Abel, lying among plants with his eyes closed.