when was rembrandt’s painting of prodigal son made
The setting itself is quite simple. However, Rembrandt makes use of colors and light to give beauty to this painting. The father and the son are illuminated rather brightly, in contrast to the dark background. Emphasis was placed on the son’s ragged and dirty clothes. Even though one cannot see the face of the son, Rembrandt painted him so well that it is evident that he was practically feeling like an outcast, with his poverty and shabbiness. The father, in contrast, is dressed in elegant garments and appears to be emotionally moved and very glad to see his son back. His warm embrace and his love for his son are evident. A solemn and calm feeling is naturally transpired through this depiction.
This painting has various artistic qualities. Being a Baroque artist, Rembrandt placed a lot of importance on the religious theme. Spiritual awareness and a profound psychological insight are evident in this painting and Rembrandt managed to be extremely realistic in these areas via his painting, which is indeed a masterpiece.
The Return of the Prodigal Son demonstrates the mastery of the late Rembrandt. His evocation of spirituality and the parable’s message of forgiveness has been considered the height of his art. Rembrandt scholar Rosenberg (et al.) calls the painting “monumental”, writing that Rembrandt
Art historian H. W. Janson writes that Prodigal Son “may be [Rembrandt’s] most moving painting. It is also his quietest—a moment stretching into eternity. So pervasive is the mood of tender silence that the viewer feels a kinship with this group. That bond is perhaps stronger and more intimate in this picture than in any earlier work of art.” [6]
Portrait of Jan Six (1654)
Private Collection, Amsterdam.
Explanation of Other Paintings by Rembrandt
It’s a subject that Rembrandt illustrated several times, in drawings, etching, and paintings. And in some ways parallels Rembrandt’s own life. As a talented young painter, Rembrandt’s reputation grows. He marries Saskia, daughter of a prominent family, his commissions grow exponentially. He lives extravagantly. But when Saskia dies, his fortunes seem to die with her, and he becomes poor.
Is there a more emotional human trait than the act of redemption? That is the subject of Rembrandt’s masterpiece, “Return of the Prodigal Son.” The painting is based on the biblical parable as related by Jesus in the book of Mark.
‘Redeeming light’
That earlier treatment of the story is a self-portrait showing Rembrandt, with wife Saskia, sitting playfully on his lap, as he raises a drinking glass. Like so many stars that crash and burn, like Christ’s prodigal son in the parable, Rembrandt’s early prosperity didn’t last. The artist lived lavishly and spent profligately, assuming the good times would continue forever. They didn’t. By the time he painted The Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt had been bankrupted, his wife had died, his popularity had largely vanished, and he lived in poverty.
References:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son_(Rembrandt)
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-paintings/return-of-the-prodigal-son.htm
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i8TnAxIJItA
http://www.catholicdigest.com/from-the-magazine/way-of-beauty/is-rembrandts-prodigal-son-the-greatest-painting-of-all-time/
http://totallyhistory.com/the-return-of-the-prodigal-son/