Artwork
Lot and his Daughters
Lot and his Daughters is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Anton Raphael Mengs. It dates from 1761 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Anton Raphael Mengs’ oil painting *Lot and his Daughters* was executed in 1761 and now belongs to the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work portrays the biblical figure Lot together with his two daughters in a landscape setting, rendered in the artist’s characteristic Neoclassical manner.
Subject & Meaning
The composition draws on the Genesis narrative in which Lot, rescued from Sodom, is accompanied by his daughters. Mengs presents the trio in a moment of quiet movement, suggesting both familial protection and the moral ambiguity that surrounds the daughters’ later actions in the biblical story.
Technique & Style
Rendered in oil on canvas, the painting employs a restrained chiaroscuro that models the figures with soft transitions between light and shadow.
Rendered in oil on canvas, the painting employs a restrained chiaroscuro that models the figures with soft transitions between light and shadow. The central male figure, bearded and robed, holds the hand of the nearer daughter, while the second daughter watches from behind. The background features a gently rolling forested landscape, its muted palette emphasizing the figures’ three‑dimensionality.
History & Provenance
Created during Mengs’ mature period, the work reflects his interest in classical composition and biblical themes. After its completion it entered private collections before being acquired by the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s European 18th‑century holdings.
Artist & collection
