Artwork
Lot and his Daughters
Lot and his Daughters is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Francesco Furini. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1634 by Francesco Furini, an Italian painter who also served as a priest, this oil on canvas portrays a scene from the biblical narrative of Lot and his daughters. Executed during the early Baroque period, the work is part of the Museo del Prado’s collection and exemplifies the period’s interest in dramatic storytelling through intimate composition.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on a nude male figure, identified as Lot, seated beside a partially clothed woman, one of his daughters. Their close physical contact and the tender gesture of the woman’s hand on his shoulder suggest a moment of familial intimacy, while the biblical context hints at the moral complexities surrounding the story of Lot’s escape from Sodom.
Technique & Style
Furini employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, casting deep shadows across the figures while allowing selective illumination to highlight flesh tones.
Furini employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, casting deep shadows across the figures while allowing selective illumination to highlight flesh tones. The contrast between the man’s exposed torso and the woman’s draped garment creates a visual tension between light and dark. A dark blue background recedes, further emphasizing the illuminated bodies and reinforcing the Baroque emphasis on dramatic lighting.
History & Provenance
After its completion in the early seventeenth century, the painting entered various private collections before being acquired by the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display. Its provenance reflects the broader movement of Italian Baroque works into Spanish royal and museum holdings during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Furini ( 10 apr. 1603 – 19 August 1646) was an Italian Baroque painter, poet and priest. He was a leading painter in Florence in the second quarter of the 17th century and also worked in Rome. He was noted for…
