Lot and His Daughters 1610

Curator: Here we have Peter Paul Rubens’s "Lot and His Daughters," dating back to 1610, currently held at the Staatliches Museum Schwerin in Germany. It is an oil on canvas portraying, quite dramatically I might add, a rather uncomfortable biblical scene. Editor: My first thought? Boisterous decadence. There's such weight in those fabrics, especially that lustrous green, that almost dares you to touch it, to understand its materiality. And look at that metalwork on the jugs. Those were not just props; these objects are rendered so they can reflect affluence. Curator: Indeed! Rubens captures the scene with typical baroque drama, exaggerating the emotional tension. There's the desperate embrace of Lot by one daughter while the other prepares him for... well, the unpleasant continuation of their lineage. It's fascinating how he handles the emotionality of this rather scandalous story. Editor: Right, but think about the societal message these opulent chalices communicate, then, versus how we interpret a biblical narrative. They are rendered with precision that suggests that the patrons commissioning a piece like this were flaunting wealth and power. Rubens captures that tension expertly. The labor in this work, too. Both creating the artifacts depicted and rendering it on such grand scale, reflects that societal pyramid. Curator: Yes, the decadence, as you call it, serves a deeper purpose. It accentuates the desperation, the loss, and the morally compromised state these figures are in. And look at the color palette! The warmth highlights their vulnerability amid the impending doom—it's almost unsettling. And is it me or Lot is too fleshy? Almost animal like and so little awareness? Editor: Maybe not, when he captures so well the glimmer and textures of gold so well that the material reality and socio economic meanings and use shine just as the allegory shines. He even brings that kind of understanding and intention when dealing with skin as material, not only soul... he understood the body as matter and as spirit, is amazing! I agree about the unsettling vibes… perhaps those mixed with desire and despair in Rubens style. Curator: Agreed! It leaves us pondering, not just about the story itself but about Rubens’ masterful skill in rendering human complexity amidst utter devastation. A powerful piece to digest. Editor: Precisely. To see not only with the eyes but to perceive the echoes of production, materials, and societal position reverberating from within that dramatic scene.