Plaque representing Loth and his daughters

The decor of this faience plaque precisely copies (in reverse) an engraving by the German artist Joseph Wagner (1706-1780) after the Florentine Giuseppe Zocchi (1711-1767), depicting the biblical story of Lot and his daughters. The original engraving is preserved at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. According to Genesis, as God intends to destroy the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, Lot and his daughters flee the area and take refuge in a mountain cave. The only way to ensure their descendants, Lot’s daughters decide to intoxicate their father and each unite with him (Genesis 18, 32). The composition here focuses on the scene of Lot being intoxicated by his daughters, who are serving him wine in a cup. The cave is represented by drapery hanging from the tree branches. In the background on the right, one can discern a city on fire with a female figure representing Lot’s wife, transformed into a salt statue for looking back during her escape.