Lot and his Daughters
17th century
Medium
Black chalk, traces of white chalk highlighting, on brown paper
Dimensions
sheet: 6 1/4 x 8 13/16 in. (15.8 x 22.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1959
Accession Number
59.644.47
Tags
Art Historical Context
This evocative drawing, *Lot and his Daughters*, created by an anonymous Italian artist in the 17 century, captures a pivotal biblical scene from Genesis 19. After the destruction of Sodom andorrah, Lot flees with his two daughters to a cave, where they devise a plan to preserve their family line by intoxicating him—an episode rich in moral complexity and human drama. Such subjects were popular in Baroque art, allowing artists to explore themes of sin, survival, and familial bonds through intense emotional expression. Executed in black chalk with subtle traces of white chalk highlights on bro...