Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

Rembrandt's famous painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, is a moving, awe-inspiring work of art, painted toward the end of his life in 1669.

Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son

"He arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him, had compassion, ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him."

(Luke 15:20)

It is amazing that Jesus depicts the Heavenly Father as this middle eastern father who is looking for the lost son and breaks all protocol and tradition. He runs to the one who shamed and hurt him. 1 John 3:1 states, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!"

I now want to talk about a painter. His full name was Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. He was born July 15, 1606, and died October 4, 1669. He was a Baroque painter whom Rodin the French sculptor would not allow himself or anyone to be compared with because he felt Rembrandt was incomparable. As I read about his personal life, however, I was saddened. He had great talents but lived the life of the prodigal son. I did not read of him surrendering his life to God. (For more information on his life, see here.)

Rembrandt's famous painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, is a moving, awe-inspiring work of art. Rembrandt painted it toward the end of his life in 1669, and today it is housed in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Henri Nouwen, in his book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, describes the painting this way (p. 7): "Father and son, God and humanity, compassion and misery, in one circle of love."

The father is the one we are drawn to, the hero of the painting. The story upon which the painting is based is of course the Parable of the Prodigal Son, told by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32. The father in the painting is regally dressed, a man of wealth, warmly receiving the wayward son. The prodigal is a mess, with tattered clothes, a shaved head, barefoot with no sandal on his left foot and the right foot in a tattered shoe, kneeling with contrition, a broken man. Can you see his face? He has the look of "I am home!"

There are four other people in the painting. There is a woman in the top left, perhaps his mom. I am not sure of the identity of the man or woman standing in the middle. The man seated is perhaps an advisor or tax collector, but the one standing with arms crossed is unmistakable: he is the elder brother or the father's oldest son. (Source.)

What stands out to you the most in this famous painting by Rembrandt? For me, it is the regal father welcoming home his destitute, prodigal son.

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