Lot leaves Sodom

According to the Old Testament, God decided to destroy the city of Sodom. Only the righteous were to be spared, which is why Lot and his family were permitted to leave the city. They were instructed neither to stop nor to look back in order to save their lives. The superb engraving captures the moment in which Lot flees with his wife and two daughters, and their most necessary belongings. Only a short time later, Lot’s wife will turn around and, as predicted, freeze into a pillar of salt. Rubens places the father of the family in the centre of the picture, a man with a flowing beard and medium-length, curly, white hair. He is led by an angel through the city gate, barefoot and clad in a long robe. A second angel accompanies the daughters who walk behind them and each carry a bundle on their head or a basket. The women are barefoot, too, wearing floor-length dresses made of silkily gleaming materials. Alongside Lot walks his wife, a look of suffering on her face. Vorsterman’s engraving impresses us especially with its detailed depiction of the robes, which are accentuated by fine lines and skilfully placed lighting effects.