Lot and His Daughters, Orazio Gentileschi
From the safety of the cave where they have taken refuge, Lot's daughters gaze toward God's annihilation of the city of Sodom, an event taking place outside the painting's borders. Strong light rakes across the three figures, gracefully posed to reflect their pensive emotional states. Believing that they alone survive to perpetuate the human race, the daughters have plied their father with liquor, as the empty silver flask and golden cup at left make clear. Unbeknownst to Lot, each daughter will mate with him and bear him a son, Moab and Ammon, the founders of tribes often pitted against Israel.
