Lot and His Daughters
c. 1580-1600
Raphael Sadeler I (Netherlandish, 1560/61–1628/32) after Joos van Winghe (Flemish, 1544–1603)
Netherlands
This scene illustrates an episode from the Old Testament book of Genesis. After fleeing the destruction of Sodom, Lot and his daughters took refuge in a cave. Realizing there were no men left to continue their lineage, the daughters decided to get their father drunk and have sex with him without him realizing. The story was very popular in the Renaissance: it allowed artists to depict a sexual subject while also warning against the dangers of wantonness and seduction.
Engraving on ivory laid paper