Lot and His Daughters Fleeing Sodom (1616) by Guido Reni

Lot and His Daughters Fleeing Sodom - Guido Reni - 1616

Artwork Information

TitleLot and His Daughters Fleeing Sodom
ArtistGuido Reni
Date1616
Mediumoil,canvas
Dimensions111 x 149 cm
Art MovementBaroque

About Lot and His Daughters Fleeing Sodom

The artwork titled “Lot and His Daughters Fleeing Sodom,” created in the year 1616, is a masterful oil on canvas painting by the esteemed artist Guido Reni. This work, measuring 111 by 149 centimeters, is an exemplar of the Baroque period, known for its dramatic expression and intense emotional content. Reni’s rendition belongs to the genre of religious painting, depicting a narrative from the biblical story in the Book of Genesis.

In the artwork, the patriarch Lot is portrayed at the center, with a pronounced white beard and crowned by a mantle of vivid red, symbolizing perhaps his authority and the urgency of the flight from the condemned city. His right hand gestures outward in what may be a sign of explication or distress, while his gaze seems to look beyond the confines of the canvas, as if envisioning the divine wrath from which he flees. Flanking him are his two daughters, each cloaked in garments of rich oranges and browns, imbued with the fluidity and depth characteristic of Baroque realism. Their expressions exude concern and intensity, as they attentively regard their father.

The daughter on the left carefully holds an ornate vessel, signifying perhaps the hasty abandonment of their home with only the most precious belongings. The inherent fluidity in the drapery of their clothes and the soft modeling of their faces reflect the Baroque style’s emphasis on motion and emotion. The overall composition reflects a moment of peril and fateful departure, encapsulated within a tense, yet beautifully orchestrated tableau. The virtuosity of Reni’s brushwork in rendering the figures and the dramatic use of light and shadow contribute to the evocative power of the scene, inviting viewers into a contemplative engagement with this pivotal biblical episode.

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