Artwork
Lot and his Daughters
Lot and his Daughters is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Orazio Gentileschi. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada.
About this work
Overview
Painted in 1622, Lot and His Daughters is an oil-on-canvas work by Orazio Gentileschi, capturing a moment from the biblical narrative of Lot’s flight from Sodom. The painting’s substantial scale and intimate composition reflect its original function as part of a private devotional series, commissioned by Genoese nobleman Giovanni Antonio Sauli alongside two other biblical scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The scene portrays Lot’s daughters, having escaped the destruction of Sodom, persuading their father to sleep with them to preserve his lineage. Gentileschi emphasizes psychological tension over moral judgment, focusing on the daughters’ hesitant resolve and Lot’s passive withdrawal, rendering the moment as a quiet, human tragedy rather than a didactic tale.
Technique & Style
Gentileschi employs soft, diffused lighting to model the figures with subtle gradations of tone, a hallmark of his Caravaggesque approach. The figures are rendered with naturalistic detail—textured skin, draped fabrics, and restrained gestures—while the background remains shadowed and indistinct, directing focus to the emotional interplay among the three figures.
History & Provenance
Commissioned by Giovanni Antonio Sauli of Genoa, the painting was part of a triptych that included Danaë and Penitent Magdalen. It remained in the Sauli family collection for centuries before entering the Getty Museum’s holdings in 1998, where it is now displayed as a key example of early 17th-century Italian narrative painting.
Context
Created during Gentileschi’s mature period in Rome, the work reflects the influence of Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro and psychological realism, adapted to the refined tastes of Genoese patrons. The commission aligns with a broader trend among elite collectors to own intimate, morally complex biblical scenes for private contemplation rather than public display.
Legacy
Lot and His Daughters exemplifies Gentileschi’s ability to infuse biblical stories with psychological depth and quiet drama. Though less widely known than his daughter Artemisia’s works, this painting remains a significant reference in studies of Caravaggism’s evolution in early Baroque Italy, particularly in private commissions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Orazio Lomi Gentileschi (Italian pronunciation: ; 1563 – 7 February 1639) was an Italian painter.
