Domenico Fetti

Domenico Fetti
Rome 1589–1623 Venice, attributed
Lot and His Daughters
Oil on canvas, relined
96 x 75 cm, with frame 115 x 98 cm

Domenico Fetti was an important Italian painter of the early Baroque period who worked in Rome, Mantua, and Venice. He is considered one of the most important mediators between Roman naturalism and Venetian color painting. Fetti combined Caravaggio’s dramatic use of light with a finely nuanced, color-intensive painting style influenced by the Venetians Titian and Veronese. His works are characterized by psychological depth, emotional immediacy, and a clear narrative structure—features that made him one of the most influential artists of his time.

The painting discussed here, attributed to Domenico Fetti, probably depicts the biblical scene of Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19:30–36). After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters flee to a cave. Believing that the world had ended and that no men were left alive, the daughters get their father drunk in order to continue the human race through him. This ambivalent story, which oscillates between moral transgression and the salvation of humanity, was often interpreted in Baroque art as a symbol of temptation, guilt, and divine testing.

Against a dark background, a dense, emotionally charged scene unfolds in dramatic lighting. Two figures appear closely entwined: on the right, an older man in a brown robe tied at the shoulder, with striking features and a tall turban; on the left, a young woman with her left arm around his shoulder, holding out a chalice in the shape of a cornucopia with her right hand – presumably the wine with which Lot is to be made drunk. Her gaze is intense, almost imploring, while his face—marked by deep wrinkles and warm, earthy tones—is turned toward the viewer, inviting them to reflect on the moral implications of the scene. The woman’s blue cloth contrasts with the delicate incarnate of her face, which glows in the light and is enlivened by rosy cheeks. This subtle color scheme and the tense proximity of the figures testify to Fettis’ masterful ability to translate inner conflicts and emotional stirrings into pictorial form.

The painting has a remarkable intimacy that distinguishes it from other depictions of the subject. Usually, both of Lot’s daughters are shown—one pouring wine while the other approaches her father half-naked. Here, however, only one daughter is present, almost bringing the vessel to her father’s mouth. This focus on two figures heightens the emotional intensity: the moment of temptation seems imminent. The man’s flushed face, reflecting his consumption of wine, already indicates his state of drunkenness, while his gaze in the direction of the viewer reflects the moral conflict between guilt and innocence, consciousness and seduction.

Particular attention should be paid to the bright blue of the daughter’s headdress, which stands out vividly against the dark background and warm flesh tones. In Baroque color iconography, blue—especially in its association with purity and spiritualization—was often seen as a reference to innocence, fidelity, and spiritual elevation, but at the same time as a symbol of melancholy and inner turmoil. In this context, the color could be read as a sign of ambivalence: it gives the young woman an aura of purity, which, however, stands in sharp contrast to the sinful act she is about to commit.

The result is a work of great psychological depth and emotional tension, in which Fetti stages the moral dilemma of the scene with subtle lighting, nuanced coloration, and a quiet, almost theatrical intimacy.