Cain

Cain is a stone carving in Ranelagh Garden depicting the biblical character at human scale with careful anatomical detail. The work stands in the park's open spaces where visitors encounter it naturally while walking through the grounds.

Sculptor Joseph-Michel Caille created this monumental work in 1871 as France was rebuilding after the Franco-Prussian War. Artists of that era used public spaces to place serious subjects where everyone could encounter them.

The carving shows how 19th-century sculptors turned biblical stories into stone monuments for public viewing. Walking past it, you can feel how artists wanted visitors to think about good and evil through the figure's expression and posture.

The sculpture sits in the northern section of Ranelagh Garden and is easily reached from the park's main walkways. It is best viewed during daylight hours when you can see the stone's texture and the figure's facial expression clearly.

This figure is one of several major works scattered through Ranelagh Garden, each offering different artistic approaches from the same era. Together they form an open-air display that many visitors miss, yet it represents an important chapter in how Paris honored artists and writers.

Location: 16th arrondissement of Paris

Inception: 1871

Creator: Joseph-Michel Caillé

GPS coordinates: 48.85786,2.26829

Latest update: December 15, 2025 13:25