Lot's Daughters Fleeing Sodom
1615/20
Medium
Black chalk, with touches of pen and black ink and white chalk, on tan laid paper
Dimensions
27.5 × 14.5 cm (10 7/8 × 5 3/4 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
227318
Art Historical Context
This striking drawing by Lucas Emil Vorsterman depicts the tale of Lot’s daughters the destruction of Sodom, a moment of urgency and divine judgment captured in form. Created between 1615 and 1620, the small sheet measures just 27.5 by 14.5 centimeters yet conveys dramatic movement through its careful arrangement of figures against the implied chaos of the burning city. Vorsterman executed the scene in black chalk with touches of pen and ink and white chalk highlights on tan laid paper. This combination of media allowed the artist to build rich tonal contrasts, model drapery and anatomy with ...