Aluminium on wooden base
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/f-e-mcwilliam-1613" aria-label="More by F.E. McWilliam" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">F.E. McWilliam</a>
Cain and Abel
Purchased 1953
Abel
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
adults
attacking
Bible: Old Testament
birth to death
brother
Cain
contorted
crime and punishment
death
family
Genesis, chapter 4
man
murder
people
persecution
religion and belief
social comment
society
standing
<p>In late 1952 McWilliam exhibited a group of work called 'Cain and Abel' at the Hanover Gallery in London. It consisted of drawings and five sculptures made from different materials. This work was made later the same year as a maquette for the 'Unknown Political Prisoner' competition, where it won an Arts Council National Prize. The artist choose this title for his entry because it was, he wrote, 'a symbol of man's eternal persecution of man, of which the political prisoner is but the contemporary symptom.'</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
sculpture aluminium wooden
26 September 2008 – 28 February 2009
2009-02-28
26 September 2008 – 28 February 2009
2009-02-28
2008-09-26
FE McWilliam Gallery & Studio (Banbridge, UK)
2008-09-26
F.E. McWilliam
Loan-out
29 October 2018 – 4 February 2019
2019-02-04
29 October 2018 – 4 February 2019
2019-02-04
2018-10-29
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2018-10-29
Figure/Totem/Beast
Collection based display
Cain and Abel
Overall: 507 × 435 × 170 mm. Wooden base alone: 55 × 430 × 158 mm.
Purchased 1953
<p>In late 1952 McWilliam exhibited a group of work called 'Cain and Abel' at the Hanover Gallery in London. It consisted of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> and five <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/sculpture" title="Glossary definition for 'Sculpture'"><span>sculptures</span></a> made from different materials. This work was made later the same year as a <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/maquette" title="Glossary definition for 'Maquette'"><span>maquette</span></a> for the 'Unknown Political Prisoner' competition, where it won an Arts Council National Prize. The artist choose this title for his entry because it was, he wrote, 'a symbol of man's eternal persecution of man, of which the political prisoner is but the contemporary symptom.'</p>
Display caption
2004-09-03T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N06164</b> CAIN AND ABEL 1952</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Not inscribed.
<br/>Aluminium, 18 1/8×8×15 3/8 (46×20·5×39).
<br/>Purchased from the International Sculpture Competition (Grant-in-Aid) 1953.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> <i>International Sculpture Competition: The Unknown Political Prisoner</i>, New Burlington Galleries, January 1953 (11), and Tate Gallery, March–May 1953 (19).
<br/><i>Repr:</i>
<i>Studio</i>, CXLVIII, 1954, p.144.</p>
<p>The artist exhibited five <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> and five versions (two in <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/metal" title="Glossary definition for 'Metal'"><span>metal</span></a> and wire, one in metal and two in wood) of the group ‘Cain and Abel’ at the Hanover Gallery in October–November 1952 (12–16). The present version was made later in 1952 as a <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/maquette" title="Glossary definition for 'Maquette'"><span>maquette</span></a> for the <i>Unknown Political Prisoner</i> Competition, where it won an Arts Council National Prize of £25. The artist wrote (22 May 1953): ‘I took this as a symbol of man's eternal persecution of man, of which the political prisoner is but the contemporary symptom.... It is in a form of aluminium made direct not <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/cast" title="Glossary definition for 'Cast'"><span>cast</span></a>’.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
Abel actions: expressive actions: postures and motions adults attacking Bible: Old Testament birth to death brother Cain contorted crime and punishment death family Genesis, chapter 4 man murder people persecution religion and belief social comment society standing