Lot 1575

Curator: Looking at "Lot" by Johann Sadeler I, dating back to 1575 and held here at the Rijksmuseum, the story just jumps right out of the engraving! Editor: The first thing I notice is the heavy feeling... a weight of consequence hanging in the air, almost tangible in those smoky skies. Curator: Indeed. Sadeler was a master engraver, really showcasing his skills in intaglio. You can see how he carefully built up those dark tones with precise lines, and the texture is phenomenal. The use of line is Mannerist; just observe the elongation of bodies! Editor: Absolutely, that tension he creates. It’s like everyone in the print is poised, about to burst into frantic movement or be swallowed whole by that volatile backdrop. The angel has just told them not to turn back, right? I wonder what Sadeler was feeling about that particular moment of decision making. Curator: Considering the period, the late Renaissance, religious themes were a safe subject, but also a reflection of the anxieties about the religious conflicts and wars then taking place across Europe. Notice how Lot is a figure being led; his agency and relationship with authority, with angels here as God's envoys, raises questions of obedience and resistance. Editor: Yes! I think that is what makes this work stand out, how human Lot looks. Even guided by divine messengers, his doubt, worry... It reflects how messy salvation and choices are for mortals, despite a higher purpose. I notice some smaller figures behind. Curator: Precisely, observe Lot's daughters following close behind him as he looks to leave Sodom with divine intervention. Editor: You know, engaging with artwork from different production times can be really grounding. Considering their choices, and anxieties reflected by materials and tools such as Sadeler's plate and burin helps illuminate the past but also make better sense of present turmoil. Curator: Exactly! The history in material, in technique. Editor: And those individual anxieties.