Great 17th Century Painting, Lot And His Family Fleeing Sodom

An important Portuguese painting from the mid-17th century. Thisoil on canvas work, attributed to the circle of Diogo Pereira(1630-1658), depicts Lot and his family fleeing the destruction ofSodom.

The subject, taken from the book of Genesis, represents one of themost spectacular episodes of the Old Testament. Warned by angels ofSodom's impending destruction, Lot flees the city with his wife andtwo daughters. During their escape, they are warned not to look backtoward the site of the catastrophe; Lot's wife, disobeying the divineorder, nevertheless looks back and is transformed into a pillar ofsalt.

The biblical event, however, becomes above all the pretext for agrandiose landscape invention, an architectural caprice amidst theflames. Sodom appears as a vast, fantastical city engulfed by fire:the space expands into a succession of palaces, towers, temples, andimaginary architecture, gradually dissolved in the vapors and lightof the catastrophe.

The composition's lighting is particularly effective. The lightseems to be generated directly from the fire and propagated throughthe smoke, creating a suggestive atmospheric depth and lending theentire scene a visionary, apocalyptic quality.

The monumentality of the architecture, contrasted with thedeliberately minute dimensions of the figures, finds significantparallels in the work of Diogo Pereira, a singular protagonist of17th-century Portuguese painting. Active primarily in Lisbon in themid-century, Pereira specialized in an extremely personal repertoireof burned cities, such as the destruction of Troy and Sodom (thepainting is not currently accompanied by an expert opinion, but onecan be requested upon payment of the relevant additional costs).

A painting of great scenic charm and rare narrative power, inwhich the biblical story is transformed into a spectacular vision ofruin and fire. The unique subject matter, the strong chiaroscurocontrast, and the connection to one of the most original figures inPortuguese painting make it a particularly fitting work for acollection dedicated to European Baroque painting and fantasticlandscapes.

Refined 20th-century frame in lacquered and gilded wood, highlydecorated, with some signs of aging. The work has already beenrestored with relining, replacement of the stretcher, and restorationof the color in small areas; overall, it is in good condition.

internalmeasures: H 70 x W 98 cm

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