Nathanael Neujean, Lot's Wife, 1968, cast bronze. OJAC Collection, Gift of Bill Bomar. 1981.254
Nathanael Neujean (1923-2018) was a Belgian figurative sculptor, working mainly in plaster and bronze. After studying sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Neujean worked in Brussels and Paris. In 1960 he was awarded the Royal Belgian Academy for Sculpture and went on to teach in Boston, MA. He later divided his time between Brussels and Florence making many commissions and portraits. His works have been exhibited in Belgium, Holland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the US.
Neujean’s bronze sculpture of Lot’s Wife was acquired by the OJAC in 1981 through a gift of artist and founder Bill Bomar.
The work captures a pivotal moment in time, revealing the thin line between life and death. Here, the sculptor illustrates the biblical story of an unnamed woman—simply known as Lot’s wife—who suffered a dire consequence when she fled with her family from the depraved city of Sodom. In the account, she disobeyed God’s command not to look back at the city, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Neujean’s expressive modeling of the figure and the woman’s captivating last gaze convey a somber and anxious mood.
Neujean also offers an intriguing detail often overlooked by viewers. Beneath the figure’s right heel is a tiny scalloped seashell cast in bronze—clearly an act of artistic license, as the term “seashell” is never mentioned in the Bible.
The shell’s placement not only serves to lift the figure’s foot in a stance conveying movement, but could also serve as that nagging little thing that catches your attention and makes you stop in your tracks.
At your next visit to the OJAC, take a moment with this work in our Sculpture Garden, and look closely to discover this to this mysterious, hidden detail.
Amy Kelly
Registrar