The Pillar of Salt

The print depicts a story from the Book of Genesis, in which Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt after she looks back at the town of Sodom. Jehovah decided to destroy the town of Sodom due to the cruelty of the people who lived there. God, who wanted to save Lot and his family, sent two angels to warn them that they should leave immediately and would perish if they remained or if they looked back at the town as they departed. Lot’s wife disobeyed the angels and Jehovah and looked back at the town, and was transformed into a pillar of salt.

Haden’s print is a melancholic, sorrowful depiction of the aftermath of this moment. The proliferation of the dark colour and loose contours of the mezzotint render it difficult to ascertain the individual figures with clarity. The print is therefore not a depiction of a particular moment of the narrative, but rather expresses the emotional implications of the story.

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