Lot en zijn dochters after 1620

Gerard ter Borch the Elder made this drawing, Lot and his Daughters, using pen and brown ink with a brush in the Netherlands. As this piece illustrates a biblical scene, we can consider the social history of religion in the Netherlands during Ter Borch’s time, and how biblical stories were interpreted and represented in art. This piece portrays a morally questionable scene of incestuous relations. How does the image create meaning through the representation of nudity? What moral stance does the artwork take? Does it condemn or condone the actions of Lot and his daughters? To truly understand this artwork, we have to delve deeper into the historical context, examining religious and moral attitudes of the time. We can examine the social role of artwork and the artistic license artists had at that time. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.