The Parable of the Prodigal Son as Told by Great Artists
You know the story: A group of Pharisees is grumbling about the inclusivity of Jesus. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them,” they say.
In response, Jesus tells three parables: first, of the shepherd who leaves his flock to find the one lost sheep; then he tells of the woman who rejoices over finding one lost coin; and, lastly, he shares the story of the prodigal son—one of the best-remembered of all his parables. We humans understand the deep need to repent, to forgive, to battle envy or pride, to return home.
As with myriad preachers through the centuries, many great artists from a variety of eras and in a variety of styles have contemplated this universally relatable narrative. And in this edition of the newsletter, I wanted to share a sample of those artworks. I’ve divided them loosely according to the portion of the parable that they portray and included the text from the fifteenth chapter of Luke’s Gospel alongside the images.
I hope you’ll enjoy the depth and breadth of these pieces that put a fascinating and familiar story into visual form. If any of these artworks in particular stands out or resonates with you, I’d love to hear about it!
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country…
…and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him.
Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’
Thank you for reading!
I'm surprised at how many of the paintings include a mother, when the parable does not mention a mother. It's interesting what she adds to the feeling of the paintings. It almost highlights a lack of agency or capability to change the mind of the son and that the son's wishes run counter to his parents'.
Goodness, you've made this prodigiously hard. I like them all for any number of reasons. The emotion, the details like a shaved head on the prodigal or missing a shoe, the light, the richness, the cultural interpretation of it. This requires a long chat over tea, delighting over them all.
A few years ago I read Henri Nouwen's meditation on Rembrandt's Prodigal Son, where he sees himself in each of those characters at various points in his life. Loved it so much I bought a giclée print of that Rembrandt painting. Some of these were new to me. Thank you!