Artwork
Lot and His Daughters
Lot and His Daughters is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Claude Vignon. It dates from 1625 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By focusing on these three figures, the artist explores themes of survival, moral ambiguity, and the continuation of a family line through unconventional means.
Claude Vignon's 1625 oil painting depicts the biblical narrative of Lot and his daughters. As a work of religious art, the composition centers on the patriarch Lot accompanied by his two daughters, illustrating the specific moment following the destruction of Sodom. The scene represents the lineage of the Moabites and Ammonites, born from the union described in the Book of Genesis.
By focusing on these three figures, the artist explores themes of survival, moral ambiguity, and the continuation of a family line through unconventional means. The visual narrative is confined to the interaction between the father and his offspring, emphasizing their isolation and the weight of their shared history.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a support typical of 17th‑century French religious painting. The composition depicts Lot and his daughters in a narrative scene that emphasizes the biblical story of hospitality and impending divine judgment. Vignon’s brushwork renders the figures with a blend of naturalistic detail and dramatic chiaroscuro, giving the scene a vivid, almost theatrical presence.
The surface shows signs of age‑related craquelure, but the paint layer remains largely intact, preserving the original handling of light and texture.
History & Provenance
The painting is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is inventoried as Lot and His Daughters by Claude Vignon.
It was exhibited at the Statens Museum for Kunst in 2014 as part of the exhibition "Claude Vignon (1593–1653) – Painter of Darkness and Light."
Overview
Claude Vignon’s 1625 oil painting Lot and His Daughters presents a compact, nocturnal tableau in which an elderly, bearded man occupies the left foreground, while two women flank him on the right. The figures are set against a dark interior that hints at distant foliage, and a modest table bears a metal cup and a silver vessel. The composition captures a moment of tension and secrecy within a biblical narrative.
Artist & collection
Artist
Claude Vignon (19 May 1593 – 10 May 1670) was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator who worked in a wide range of genres.
