Artwork
The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Barent Fabritius. It dates from 1661 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
The Prodigal Son is a painting that depicts four scenes from a biblical parable on a single canvas. The scenes are arranged side by side, showing the progression of the story.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates the story of the Prodigal Son, a parable about a young man who leaves home, squanders his inheritance, and eventually returns to his forgiving father. The four scenes show the son's departure, his life of excess, his downfall, and his reconciliation with his father.
Technique & Style
The artist presents the narrative in a continuous format, dividing the canvas into four distinct scenes that resemble snapshots or a sequential narrative. This approach was unusual for its time, as most depictions of the parable focused on a single moment.
Context
The painting is part of a series of parables created for the Lutheran church in Leiden, indicating its original purpose was likely devotional or didactic.
Artist & collection
Artist
Barent or Bernard Pietersz Fabritius (or Fabricius) (bapt. 16 November 1624 – bur. 20 October 1673), was a Dutch painter. Fabritius was born at Middenbeemster, North Holland, the son of Pieter Carelsz. Fabritius. He…
Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael
Willem van der Helm (ca 1625-75). Municipal architect of Leiden, with his wife Belytgen Cornelisdr van de Schelt and their son Leendert
The butchered pig
Lazarus and the rich man
Jacob's Farewell to Benjamin
Colonnade giving onto a park
The prodigal son
The Presentation at the Temple
Landscape with a Canal
Italian landscape with a Monastery
Landscape with waterfall
Landscape with Fables
Landschaft mit drei Bauern
Klassische Landschaft (Umkreis)
Hunter and Horsemen on a Wooded Road, with a Village in a Valley beyond
Flusslandschaft mit Fischern
Flussgegend
Landschaft mit Merkur und Argus
Country inn with a horse at the trough