The depiction of the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah was one of the most popular genre paintings with a strong moral appeal. The fall of Sodom and Gomorrah is a biblical theme of divine punishment for unchecked sinfulness. It was often treated by fine landscape painters who demonstrated their painting expertise and subordinated landscape and architecture to the subject matter. Even the present subject has its centre of gravity in the burning city, the surroundings are untouched by the disaster, processed according to the painting trends of the time. The focus of the dramatic scene is found in Genesis 19:24-25: "The Lord began to rain brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah; it was from the Lord out of heaven. So he overthrew the cities and the whole district, and destroyed all the inhabitants of the cities, and all that grew on the fields."