Lot and his Daughters leaving Sodom

Lot and his daughters are shown fleeing the sinful city of Sodom, forewarned by God of its destruction (Genesis 19). The family are in a moment of conversation, perhaps contemplating their next move. Conspicuously absent are details typically associated with the subject, such as Sodom burning in the background or elements of eroticism, alluding to the daughters' later seduction of their father (an attempt to continue their family’s bloodline). Instead, the trio are fully clothed, sober and chaste.

This painting was made in the aftermath of Reni’s return to Bologna from Rome, where he had lived and worked for more than a decade; the statuesque figures and solid handling of paint are illustrative of the style that he had developed there. Since the mid-seventeenth century, this painting has been regarded as a companion piece to Susannah and the Elders (also in the National Gallery’s collection). Though similar in format and both illustrating moralising tales, the two were painted a few years apart, and were not originally intended as a pair.