Artwork
The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom (after Rubens)

The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom (after Rubens) is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jacob Jordaens. It dates from 1619 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Western Art.
About this work
Overview
Jacob Jordaens painted *The Flight of Lot and His Family from Sodom* in 1619, employing oil on canvas within the Flemish Baroque idiom. The composition centers on a fleeing group of six figures accompanied by a celestial messenger, set against a muted landscape that emphasizes the drama of the biblical exodus.
Subject & Meaning
The work visualizes the scriptural episode in which Lot, his wife, and their children escape the divine destruction of Sodom. An angel, rendered in vivid red with white wings, directs the travelers, underscoring divine intervention and the urgency of salvation as the family hurriedly leaves the doomed city.
Technique & Style
Jordaens applies a palette that juxtaposes warm reds and cool blues, allowing the angel’s garment to dominate the visual field. Visible brushwork creates a textured surface, while the chiaroscuro modeling of figures reflects the Baroque interest in dramatic lighting and movement. The composition balances dynamic gestures with a relatively restrained background.
History & Provenance
Created shortly after Jordaens assumed the artistic mantle left by Rubens and van Dyck, the painting remained in the artist’s native Antwerp before entering the collection of the National Museum of Western Art, where it is currently displayed. Its provenance traces a typical path from private Flemish ownership to a public museum setting.
Context
The painting emerges from a period when Flemish artists frequently revisited biblical narratives to convey moral lessons and showcase technical virtuosity. Jordaens, as the leading painter in early‑17th‑century Flanders, often drew on Rubens’ compositional models while infusing his own robust figures and vivid coloration.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and a designer of tapestries and prints.



















