Baroque Art Blog
The Return of The Prodigal Son (1669) - Rembrandt van Rijn
I believe this painting comes from a biblical story. I used to hear this story a lot going to church and youth group. There was a father with two sons, and the younger son asked for his inheritance before the father even died. The father gave it to him and the son unwisely spent all of his inheritance. There was a famine and he became very poor and even ate what the pigs ate because there was nothing else for him. Back then pigs were seen as the lowest of lows because of how gross they lived. The son went back to his fathers home and begged to be a servant to him. The father welcomed him back home and celebrated his arrival (Anirudh). The older brother didn't approve of his brother being easily welcomed back and can be seen with crossed hands in the back of the painting. I really like the backstory of this painting. The father reminds me of my grandparents because of how loving they are. They always welcome their kids and grandkids into their home no matter what.
The contrast of the painting gives me a feeling that I can't really explain. I like how it is dark and the background and that there is a light shining on the father and son. It looks like a. picture that comes from a play. It helps me imagine the backstory of this painting better. I wasn't really interested in this story until I saw the painting. The son looks so relieved that the father welcomed him back. It's a little hard to see the face of the older brother, but I feel like I can easily imagine that he isn't making a happy face. I like all the small details that the artist included. It makes the clothing look real and makes me imagine how this exact moment felt for this family. You can see how poor the younger son became by the look of his clothes.
According to Daudin, in The Thirty Years' War, profiteers would plunder resources any chance they got and left regions to the point where they cannot quickly recover. This reminds me of how the son left his family like they were dead to him to live a wild life. The wars caused so much damage and it's hard to imagine what people have gone through because of it.
Adviser, Pascal DaudinSenior Policy, et al. “The Thirty Years' War: The First Modern War?” Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog, 16 Feb. 2018, https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2017/05/23/thirty-years-war-first-modern-war/.
Anirudh, Anirudh. “10 Most Famous Paintings of the Baroque Era.” Learnodo Newtonic, 1 Mar. 2021, https://learnodo-newtonic.com/famous-baroque-paintings.
Hi, Angelina!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I really liked how you delved into the religious interpretation of the story behind this painting; that is a very admirable thing, and allows the reader to connect on the spiritual level with the painting, which was often the point of them in history. I do the same thing with religious paintings, and I try to see the biblical symbols in them, and how the artist decides to portray such things.
I really liked how you described the light falling on the prodigal son and his father, highlighting them as the main point of the art piece. This being a parable of Jesus reminds me of the Love of God that never diminishes or tires, or gives up on us even when others--- like the good brother looking on--- don't understand that kind of love. I'm curious to know if there are colors in this piece that symbolized something to the artist. The golden light on the father and prodigal son clearly represent the light of God. The red can symbolize wealth and vitality. However, the father and his entourage are all appear to be wearing armor. I could be wrong here, but it looks like chain mail gauntlets and chest plates. This gives a twist to the story, possibly referencing the armor of God, and the sense of the son returning to the faithful path, and becoming a soldier for the God--- God's army, so to speak.
Those are my thoughts on the piece. I think you did a great job! I'll look for your next posts in the coming weeks. :)
Kate