Cup: Lot and His Daughters

The inscription G XIX (Genesis 19) at the top of the scene identifies the story of Lot and his daughters from the Old Testament. Fearing for the continuation of their family line after the fall of Sodom, Lot’s two daughters entice, inebriate, and seduce him. Lot’s wife stands far off, with Sodom in the distance. She is the only figure painted in grisaille, suggesting that she has already been turned into a pillar of salt, her punishment for having looked back at Sodom as she and her family escaped the city. Gilt details enhance the composition, particularly the burning city of Sodom and the brightly painted bridge leading there.

Source: Vignon, Charlotte. The Frick Collection Decorative Arts Handbook. New York: The Frick Collection/Scala, 2015.