Lot verlaat Sodom 1550 - 1570

This engraving, “Lot Leaving Sodom”, now in the Rijksmuseum, presents a pivotal moment from Genesis. Angels guide Lot and his family away from the doomed city, its destruction looming in the background. Consider the angel with the box, reminiscent of Pandora’s, hinting at unforeseen consequences. Such motifs resurface throughout history; in classical antiquity, the image of a winged figure guiding mortals appears on Greek vases, often representing divine intervention or fate. This iconography evolves through the Renaissance, seen in depictions of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guiding souls. The gesture of guidance itself, the outstretched hand, echoes across time, from ancient reliefs to modern film. This symbol transcends its immediate narrative, tapping into a collective subconscious, and prompting contemplation on our own moral paths and the warnings we heed—or ignore. It is a cyclical progression, as each epoch finds new meanings, weaving them into the ever-evolving tapestry of cultural memory.