Lot and His Daughters
In the biblical story of Lot and his daughters, the family fled the destruction of Sodom. Believing that they were the sole survivors, the daughters served their father wine and, when he became inebriated, copulated with him in order to preserve the human race. The incestuous tale, with its complex figural grouping of an old man with two nubile young women, had a curious popularity in the mid-eighteenth century. During his years as a student, Vien invented and etched his own version as a demonstration of his skill.
Artwork Details
- Title: Lot and His Daughters
- Artist: Joseph Marie Vien (French, Montpellier 1716–1809 Paris)
- Date: 1748
- Medium: Etching
- Dimensions: sheet: 10 1/16 x 11 15/16 in. (25.6 x 30.3 cm)
plate: 9 1/2 x 11 3/16 in. (24.1 x 28.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1964
- Object Number: 64.605.3
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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