Why it matters
Among Rembrandt's final works, it shows the ragged son kneeling before his father, who receives him with a tender gesture while the elder brother looks on in judgement. Kenneth Clark said those who have seen it may be forgiven for calling it 'the greatest picture ever painted'.
Did you know?
- It was probably completed within two years of Rembrandt's death in 1669.
- The father's two hands differ: one seems masculine, the other softer.
- It is in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Return of the Prodigal Son (Rembrandt) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
