Lot and His Daughters

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Bernardino Capitelli’s Lot and His Daughters copies a Caravaggesque painting by his master, Rutillo Manetti. God spared Lot’s family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but the good man lost his wife during their escape. After retreating to the mountains, Lot’s daughters inebriated and seduced their father to maintain their family line. Here one incestuous daughter embraces Lot, while the other plies him with wine. The singular light source and bold etching strokes produce strong contrasts, which enhance the scene’s dramatic tone. The unusual octagonal shape of the etching plate closely frames and enhances the print’s intensity and uncomfortable eroticism.

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