The Prodigal Son

Dürer employed precise incised lines and cross‑hatching to model the textures of cloth, fur and architectural elements. The use of laid paper, with its visible ribbed pattern, adds subtle tonal variation. Sharp contours and careful shading create a sense of depth, allowing the figures and the surrounding structures to emerge distinctly within the black‑and‑white medium.

Created in the late 15th century, the engraving entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the 20th century, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its survival on laid paper attests to the durability of Dürer’s copper plates and the careful preservation of early modern prints.

The work belongs to Dürer’s formative period, when he was exploring narrative subjects drawn from religious texts. Engravings such as this were widely circulated, serving both devotional and didactic purposes. The depiction of a humble, laboring figure reflects contemporary concerns about social order and moral instruction in late medieval Germany.