The Prodigal Son: Riotous Living
1635
- Medium
- etching
- Dimensions
- 26 × 32.5 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-199663
In the biblical proverb of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), the son wastes his inheritance at a brothel; destitute, he returns to his father and is forgiven. Though the story is meant as a lesson of repentance, artists often focused on the brothel scene, which allowed them to explore the son’s morally questionable choices. This print depicts the interior of a brothel as if it were an opulent home from the 1600s. Three women, a man, and a child distract the son to steal his coin purse. One woman holds a triangular glass of wine, highlighting the role of wine in the son’s carnal desires and ev…
Provenance
Allen Fund, 1929.560.2
Registry history
- 1635 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art — prints
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