Artwork
The Story of Lot: Lot Welcomes the Angels
The Story of Lot: Lot Welcomes the Angels is a print by the Renaissance artist Heinrich Aldegrever. It dates from 1555 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Heinrich Aldegrever’s 1555 print, *The Story of Lot: Lot Welcomes the Angels*, is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. Executed in black‑and‑white, the image captures a moment from the biblical narrative in which Lot receives two celestial visitors at the entrance of Sodom.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a richly dressed man, identified as Lot, extending a gesture toward two kneeling women who clutch their infants. Their startled expressions convey the urgency of the impending divine judgment, while the act of hospitality underscores the theme of righteous conduct amid impending disaster.
Technique & Style
Aldegrever employs a chiaroscuro approach, using stark contrasts of light and shadow to model the figures and create spatial depth. The delicate hatching delineates the architectural backdrop—a distant town of towers and roofs—while the foreground figures emerge in sharper relief, enhancing the dramatic tension.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑sixteenth century, the print reflects Aldegrever’s engagement with religious subjects during the Reformation era. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains a representative example of Northern Renaissance printmaking.
Artist & collection
Artist
Heinrich Aldegrever or Aldegraf was a German painter and engraver. He was one of the "Little Masters", the group of German artists making small old master prints in the generation after Albrecht Dürer.
