Cormon's 'Caïn' and the Darwinian Origins of Human Consciousness

Fernand Cormon's monumental painting 'Caïn' (1880, 400 x 700 cm, Musée d'Orsay) is examined as a meditation on human evolution and conscience, set against the backdrop of Darwinian theory. The work depicts the biblical Cain fleeing with his clan after fratricide, portrayed as prehistoric humans with simian features, reflecting contemporary debates on evolution. Cormon, then 35, exhibited the painting at the Salon of 1880 accompanied by Victor Hugo's poem 'Conscience' from 'La Légende des siècles' (1859). The article contrasts the painting with Nicolas Poussin's 'Le Triomphe de Flore' (1627–1628, Louvre) and Théodore Géricault's 'Le Radeau de la Méduse' (1818–1819, Louvre), highlighting themes of exile, guilt, and the struggle between social behavior and primal instincts. It references Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' (1859) and 'The Descent of Man' (1871), as well as Herbert Spencer's 'survival of the fittest' (1864), which Darwin opposed. The article also mentions the discovery of Altamira cave paintings (40,000 BCE) and Auguste Rodin's 'La Centauresse' (c. 1887, Musée Rodin).