Uittocht van Lot en zijn dochters 1651 - 1652

Harmen ter Borch created this drawing of "The Exodus of Lot and his Daughters" using pen in gray ink and gray wash. Ter Borch painted during the Dutch Golden Age, a time marked by economic prosperity and cultural flourishing. In this period, the roles of women were traditionally confined to the domestic sphere. Yet, here Ter Borch depicts Lot’s daughters as central figures, burdened but resilient, carrying the weight of their family's survival. We witness them fleeing Sodom with angels, their expressions hinting at a mix of fear and determination. Ter Borch offers us a narrative of women not just as figures in a religious story, but as active participants in their own destiny. What does it mean to see these women centered in a moment of crisis, not as passive victims, but as agents of their own survival?