Lot and His Daughters 1748

Joseph Marie Vien made this print, Lot and His Daughters, using etching in Rome in 1742. Here, Vien illustrates a controversial Old Testament story. Lot’s daughters, fearing the end of their lineage after the destruction of Sodom, conspire to get their father drunk and sleep with him. The visual codes that Vien uses, with classical references, and elegant draping, contrast with the incestuous subject matter. This makes the image palatable to the norms of eighteenth-century society. The French Academy in Rome, where Vien studied, encouraged artists to study classical art and incorporate it into their work, so the classical aesthetic is not surprising. The subject matter reflects the institution of the church, still a strong influence in the arts. Looking at Vien’s career and the art market of the time, we can better understand how social and institutional contexts shaped his art.