Life Goes On

Lot and his daughters engraving by the Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden (1494-1533) part of his series "vrouwenlisten" where he depicted famous women of the Old Testament aimed at connoisseurs.

Daughters of Lot

The daughters of Lot (1940) by the  Italian Futurist painter Carlo Carrà (1881-1966).

Opulent Feast

Lot and his daughters by the Dutch Mannerist Painter Abraham Bloemaert (ca.1564-1651). It's surprising all that stuff they saved from burning Sodom.

Family Discussion

Lot and his Daughters by the Italian Baroque Era painter Guido Reni (1575-1642). Interesting is here that Reni foregoes the normally so effective and popular nudeness and seduction scenery.

A merry Party

Lot and his daughters (1616) having a really good time by Hendrik Goltzius (1558-1617) a Dutch printmaker and painter of the early Baroque period.

Dirty Old Man

Lot and his daughters by the French painter Lubin Baugin (c. 1612-1663). One of the daughters helds the wine jug the other is pushing the fathers hand with the cup, but despite all of that, I think there is still a very horny old man.

Heavy Drinking

Another version of Lot and his daughters by the Italian Baroque painter Gian Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666). Here it seems that the daughters even forced the poor father to drink. Remains the question, why he’s already half naked?

Drunken Lot

Lot and his daughters from the 16th century by an unknown Flemish painter. The girls are getting their father really drunk. The one who’s receiving the fathers advances looks totally bored.
From a modern perspective the neo-Roman clothes are much more interesting. Must be one of the first examples, that an European artist painted his subjects in a kind of historical costumes.

Seductive Daughters

Lot and his daughters by Flemish painter Lazarus van der Borcht (working in Antwerp 1601-1611). The poor father is seduced with wine and women. Seeing so much nude skin I think it must have been nearly pornographic in it’s time.

Fauny Lot

Lot and his daughters (1537) by the German Renaissance Painter Albrecht Altdorfer (c.1480–1538). Here Lot looks more like a horny faun who is seducing a nymph. It’s only the burning Sodom in the back which gives the painting it’s biblical environment.

Drunken Lot

Lot and his Daughters (c. 1651) by the Italian Baroque painter Gian Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666).

It’s the typical setting: Lot between his seductive daughters drinking the offered wine (probably to daze his conscience) and in the back the burning Sodom with the statue of the mother half on the way.

Another Perfect Nude

Lot and his daughters by the Flemish manierist painter Jan Massys (c. 1509-1575).

One more of Massys’ perfect nudes. It’s interesting to compare this painting with his Bathsheba. The similarities are evident. Both paintings are mere constructions around that perfectly painted nudes, the burning Sodom and the mother in the back provide the historical background.

The End of Sodom

Lot Fleeing with His Daughters from Sodom by the German painter Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769).

Trautmann was fascinated by the dramatic effects of light, especially red light. So he painted gypsies and robbers by their campfires, burning cities and historical or legendary disasters like the burning Troy. Here he dedicated all his skills to the destruction of Sodom. Lot is fleeing with his daughters and the statue of the mother is left behind. But they are more an excuse to paint the burning Sodom.

Seduced Lot

Lot and his daughters (1833) by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1791-1882).

Hayez did here a very traditional painting. In the back is Sodom burning and the statue of the mother could be seen. He focuses on Lot and his daughters who are all more or less naked. Lot looks very drunk, in front is a (wine-) jug and one of the daughters holds an empty cup. While Lot as the central figure seems nearly helpless, the two daughters are cool watching the effects of their intrigue.

Lot as a Victim

Lot and his daughters by the German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553). It’s probably from about 1528, but that’s not sure because Cranach painted at least four like this.

It’s a kind of psychedelic or symbolist painting. I like that bloody rainbow above Sodom.
But what’s really interesting. That it is one of the rare examples where Lot appears as the victim. It seems that Cranach hadn’t any doubt that the poor old man was totally manipulated by his two cool looking daughters.

Lot and his Daughters

Lot and his Daughters by the Italian Renaissance Painter Bonifacio Veronese (c.1487-1553).

I can’t help, but I got the strong impression that Lot doesn’t look so drunk, instead he seems very interested in his daughter while the second is waiting patiently. In the back there’s burning Sodom. So they don’t lose any time. I think Veronese gives a really cynical interpretation of the old story.

Lot and his Daughters

Everybody knows Sodom and Gomorrah, the two cities which had been destroyed for the sins of their inhabitants by the wrath of God. Their names are proverbial, synonymous for vice and sexual deviation and perversion. And most people know that from all that destruction there was saved only Lot with his family, because he was the only good man in the two cities. Warned by the angels Lot escaped with his daughters; only his wife was turned into a pillar of salt, because she was looking back against the orders of the angels.

So far, so good, but from here on the story is far lesser known. Lot and his daughters took shelter in a cave. The daughters were convinced that they were the only survivors in the world and because of that it should be their responsibility to bear children and enable the continuation of the human race. On the next nights they inebriate their father and had sexual intercourse with him. They became pregnant as they wished and had later two sons. That was enough because mankind wasn’t extinguished as they had supposed.

It’s a really strange story. There are the people of Sodom and Gomorrah wiped out because of the sexual excesses, and some hours later good old Lot had sex with his own daughters. Sure, it’s well explained and he was so drunk, that he didn’t even notice what he was doing. And if there is someone guilty, that’s the women, who nearly raped the poor father. All that is more than ambiguous, it sounds like a petty excuse for the deeds of Lot. In modern studies Lot is cited as the model of the father, who had sex with his daughter(s).

The topic is controversial. But it’s not my intention to discuss what Lot did or not. For me he is first and foremost a subject in art; and he and his daughters have interested artists for centuries. And in these paintings can be seen the different interpretations. In some Lot is a poor victim, but in many he appears like an old horny seducer.

Lot and his daughters by the Italian Baroque painter Giovanni Battista Lama (1673-1748)

Here the daughters made their father drunk. In the background is burning Sodom and on the way could be seen the salt statue of the mother.