Describe Rembrandt's painting The Return of the Prodigal Son. Analysis of the painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son" by Rembrandt

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The painting depicts the final episode of the parable, when the prodigal son returns home, “and while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him,” and his elder righteous brother, who remained with his father, became angry and did not want to enter.

The plot attracted the attention of Rembrandt's famous predecessors: Durer, Bosch, Luke of Leiden, Rubens.

Description

Exactly this large canvas Rembrandt on a religious theme.

Several people gathered on a small area in front of the house. On the left side of the picture a kneeling prodigal son is depicted with his back to the viewer. His face is not visible, his head is written in profile perdu. The father gently touches his son's shoulders, hugging him. Painting - classic example compositions where the main thing is strongly shifted from the central axis of the picture for the most accurate disclosure of the main idea of ​​the work. “Rembrandt highlights the main thing in the picture with light, focusing our attention on it. The compositional center is located almost at the edge of the picture. The artist balances the composition with the figure of his eldest son standing on the right. The placement of the main semantic center at one third of the distance in height corresponds to the law of the golden ratio, which has been used by artists since ancient times to achieve the greatest expressiveness of their creations.”

Shaved head like a convict's prodigal son and his tattered clothes indicate a fall. The collar retains a hint of past luxury. The shoes are worn out, and a touching detail is that one fell when the son knelt down. In the depths one can discern a porch and behind it one’s father’s house. The master placed the main figures at the junction of the pictorial and real spaces (later the canvas was placed at the bottom, but according to the author’s plan, its lower edge was at the level of the toes of the kneeling son). “The depth of space is conveyed by the consistent weakening of light and shadow and color contrasts, starting from the foreground. In fact, it is built by the figures of witnesses to the scene of forgiveness, gradually dissolving into the twilight.” “We have a decentralized composition with main group(the event node) on the left and a caesura separating it from the group of witnesses to the event on the right. The event causes the participants in the scene to react differently. The plot is built according to the “response” compositional scheme.”

Minor characters

In addition to father and son, the picture depicts 4 more characters. These are dark silhouettes that are difficult to distinguish against a dark background, but who they are remains a mystery. Some called them the protagonist's "brothers and sisters." It is characteristic that Rembrandt avoids conflict: the parable talks about jealousy obedient son, and the harmony of the picture is not disturbed in any way.

Hermitage employee Irina Linnik believes that Rembrandt’s canvas has a prototype in a woodcut by Cornelis Antonissen (1541), in which a kneeling son and father are also depicted surrounded by figures. But on the engraving these figures are inscribed - Faith, Hope, Love, Repentance and Truth. In the heavens, the engraving reads "God" in Greek, Hebrew and Latin. An X-ray of the Hermitage painting showed the initial similarity of Rembrandt’s painting with the details of the mentioned engraving. However, a direct analogy cannot be drawn - the picture has only a vague resemblance to one of Antonissen’s allegories (the farthest and almost disappearing in the darkness), which resembles an allegory of Love, and, in addition, has a red medallion in the shape of a heart. Perhaps this is an image of the mother of the prodigal son.

The two figures in the background, located in the center (apparently female, perhaps a maid or another personified allegory; and male), are more difficult to guess. The sitting young man with a mustache, if you follow the plot of the parable, may be the second, obedient brother. There is speculation that in fact the second brother is the previous “female” figure hugging the column. Moreover, perhaps this is not just a column - in shape it resembles the pillar of the Jerusalem Temple and may well symbolize the pillar of the Law, and the fact that the righteous brother is hiding behind it takes on a symbolic meaning.

The researchers' attention is drawn to the figure of the last witness, located on the right side of the picture. It plays an important role in the composition and is written almost as brightly as the main characters. His face expresses sympathy, and the traveling cloak he is wearing and the staff in his hands suggest that he, like the prodigal son, is a lonely wanderer. Israeli researcher Galina Luban believes that this image is associated with the figure of the Eternal Jew. According to other assumptions, he is the eldest son, which does not coincide with the age description of the New Testament character, although he is also bearded and dressed like his father. However, this rich clothing is also a refutation of the version, since according to the Gospel, having heard about the return of his brother, he came running straight from the field, where, most likely, he was in work clothes. Some researchers see in this figure a self-portrait of Rembrandt himself.

There is also a version that the two figures on the right side of the picture: a young man in a beret and a standing man are the same father and son who are depicted on the other half, but only before the prodigal son leaves the house towards revelry. Thus, the canvas seems to combine two chronological plans. It has been suggested that these two figures are a representation of the publican and the Pharisee from the gospel parable.

In profile in the form of a bas-relief with right side From the standing witness, a musician is depicted playing the flute. His figure perhaps recalls the music that, in a few moments, will fill his father’s house with sounds of joy.

Story

Circumstances of creation

This is not the artist’s only work on this subject. In 1635, he painted the painting “The Prodigal Son in a Tavern (Self-Portrait with Saskia on His Lap),” which reflected an episode of the legend about the prodigal son squandering his father’s inheritance. In 1636, Rembrandt created an etching, and in 1642 a drawing (Taylor Museum in Haarlem).

The circumstances surrounding the painting are mysterious. It is believed to have been written in last years life of an artist. Changes and corrections to the original concept of the painting, noticeable on the x-ray photograph, indicate the authenticity of the canvas.

The dating of 1666-1669 is considered controversial by some. Art historians G. Gerson and I. Linnik proposed dating the painting to 1661 or 1663.

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Plot

According to the parable, one day the son, the youngest in the family, wanted to start independent life and demanded his share of the inheritance. In essence, this symbolized that he wished his father to die, because the division of property occurs only after the death of the eldest in the family. The young man got what he asked for and left Father's house. Living beyond his means and the worsening economic situation in the country where he found himself led to the fact that the young man soon squandered everything he had. He was faced with a choice - death or repentance: “How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, but I am dying of hunger; I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired servants."

When the father met his son, he ordered the best calf to be slaughtered and a holiday to be held. At the same time, he utters a phrase that is sacramental for all Christianity: “This son of mine was dead and is alive, he was lost and is found.” This is an allegory of the return of lost sinners to the fold of the church.

"The Prodigal Son in the Tavern" (1635). Another title is “Self-portrait with Saskia on her lap.”
On the canvas, Rembrandt depicted himself as a prodigal son, wasting his father's inheritance


The eldest son, returning from field work and learning why the holiday was started, became angry: “I have served you for so many years and never violated your orders, but you never gave me even a kid so that I could have fun with my friends; and when this son of yours, who had wasted his wealth with harlots, came, you killed the fatted calf for him.” And although his father called him to mercy, from the parable we do not learn what decision the eldest son makes.

Rembrandt allowed himself to move away from the classical text. Firstly, he portrayed his father as blind. The text does not directly state whether the man was sighted or not, but from the fact that he saw his son from afar, we can conclude that he still did not have problems with vision.

Secondly, Rembrandt’s eldest son is present at the meeting - the tall man on the right. IN classical text he comes when he is already in the house preparations are underway to celebrate the return younger brother.


"Return of the Prodigal Son" (1666−1669)

Thirdly, the meeting itself is described differently. The delighted father runs out to meet his son and falls to his knees in front of him. In Rembrandt, we see a young man humbly standing on the ground, and his father quietly placing his hands on his shoulders. Moreover, one palm looks like a soft, caressing, maternal one, and the second one looks like a strong, holding, paternal one.

The eldest son remains aloof. His hands are tightly clenched - the internal struggle that is happening in him is visible. Angry with his father, the eldest son must make a choice - to accept his younger brother or not.

In addition to the main characters, Rembrandt depicted other people on the canvas. It is impossible to say exactly who they are. It is possible that these are servants, with the help of whom the artist wanted to convey the pre-holiday bustle and bright mood.

Context

"Return of the Prodigal Son" - perhaps last picture Rembrandt. Work on it was preceded by a series of losses that stretched over 25 years: from the death of his first, beloved wife Saskia and all the children she bore to almost complete ruin and the absence of customers.

The rich clothes in which the heroes are depicted were part of the artist’s collection. In the 17th century, Holland was the strongest economy in the world. The ships of its merchants seemed to be everywhere - there was even trade with Japan (Japan did not trade with anyone else at that time). Outlandish goods flocked to Dutch ports. The artist regularly walked there and bought unusual fabrics, jewelry, and weapons. All this was later used in work. Even for self-portraits, Rembrandt dressed up in foreign clothes and tried on new images.




The fate of the artist

Rembrandt was born in Leiden into the family of a wealthy Dutchman who owned a mill. When the boy announced to his father that he intended to become an artist, he supported him - then in Holland it was prestigious and profitable to be an artist. People were ready to go hungry, but did not skimp on paintings.

After studying for three years (which was enough to start his own business, as was then believed) with his uncle - professional artist, — Rembrandt and a friend opened a workshop in Leiden. Although there were orders, they were rather monotonous and did not captivate. Work began to boil after moving to Amsterdam. There he soon met Saskia van Uylenburch, the daughter of the burgomaster of Leeuwarden, and without thinking twice he got married.


. The painting that put the artist at odds with all the customers depicted on the canvas

Saskia was his muse, his inspiration, his torch. He painted her portrait in various robes and images. At the same time, she was from a wealthy family, which also allowed them to live in grand style. The latter circumstance irritated Saskia’s relatives - classical Flemings who could not stand an unbridled life beyond their means. They even sued Rembrandt, accusing him of wastefulness, but the artist presented, as they would say today, a certificate of income and proved that his and his wife’s fees were quite enough for all their whims.

After Saskia's death, Rembrandt fell into depression for some time and even stopped working. Possessing an already unpleasant character, he became completely merciless towards others - he was bilious, stubborn, self-willed and even rude. This is largely why contemporaries tried not to write anything about Rembrandt - bad things are indecent, but apparently there was no good.


Hendrikje Stoffels (1655)

Gradually, Rembrandt turned almost everyone against himself: customers, creditors, and other artists. A kind of conspiracy developed around him - he was almost purposefully driven to bankruptcy, forcing him to sell off his entire collection for next to nothing. Even the house went under the hammer. If it weren’t for the students who formed and helped the master buy simpler housing in the Jewish area, Rembrandt risked remaining on the street.

Today we don’t even know where the artist’s remains are. He was buried in a pauper's cemetery. IN funeral procession Only his daughter Cornelia came from Hendrikje Stoffels, his third wife (not official, but, one might say, civil). After Rembrandt's death, Cornelia got married and went to Indonesia. There, traces of her family are lost. As for information about Rembrandt himself, then last decades it is collected literally bit by bit - during the artist’s lifetime much was lost, not to mention the fact that no one purposefully wrote his biography.

- Return of the Prodigal Son. The approximate date of creation is considered to be 1666–1669. The artist embodied this gigantic concept in oil on canvas measuring 260×203 mm. The plot of the film was the last part of the parable from the Bible, which tells about a lost son who eventually comes to his native doorstep and repents before his father. The parent is glad to see his younger son alive and unlucky, hugs him like a father, but the older brother is angry and does not approach.

It was this imaginary scene that ended up on the canvas. The master perfectly conveyed the fatherly feelings and repentance of his son. The young man is depicted kneeling in front of his parent, pressing his shaved head against his father's body. His clothes are dirty and torn, they bear traces of their former splendor and luxury, but it is clear that the young man fell to the very bottom of human sins and could not rise from there. His feet traveled many roads. Worn out shoes indicate this; they can no longer be called shoes - one shoe simply does not stay on the foot. The son’s face is hidden; the artist depicted him in such a way that the viewer himself could guess what feelings could be displayed on the young man’s face.

The main figure of the work is the father. His figure is slightly inclined towards his son, with his hands he gently squeezes his son’s shoulders, his head is slightly tilted to the left. The whole pose of this old man speaks of the suffering and grief that he experienced all those years while his son was absent from the house. With these movements, he seems to forgive his son; his return is a great joy for his father. The father looks at the kneeling boy and smiles. His face is serene and the old man is happy. Interior of the corner of the house: carved bas-reliefs, columns; the old man's attire: a red cloak and brocade sleeves in its slits - speak of the good wealth of the house, the wealth and dignity of those gathered here.

Experts have not fully figured out the remaining four figures. Versions vary significantly. One of the assumptions is that the sitting young man with a mustache and a dandy hat decorated with a feather is the elder brother of the prodigal. This is possible, since his facial expression speaks of condemnation and he does not participate in the reconciliation of relatives.

The most distant figure is considered female - the barely visible girl in a headscarf standing on the steps could be a servant in her father’s house. A man standing next to a repentant sinner holds a staff, he is wearing a cloak, he has a long beard, and a turban on his head. His whole appearance suggests that he can be the same wanderer, but more intelligent and demanding in his goals. The gaze of this silent witness is turned to the young man kneeling before his father. One can only guess what thoughts cloud the wanderer's face.

The entire canvas is painted in Rembrandt’s favorite reddish-brown tones. The artist managed to skillfully display light accents on the faces of the depicted people and dim minor characters. Even without knowing what is written in the biblical parable, when you see this great work, you can read everything on it.

Rembrandt. Return of the Prodigal Son. 1668 State Hermitage Museum , Saint Petersburg.

"Return of the Prodigal Son" The old father found peace again. His younger son returned. He does not hesitate to forgive him for his wasted inheritance. No reproaches. Only mercy. All-forgiving fatherly love.

And what about the son? He reached extreme despair. Beggar and ragged, he forgot about pride. He fell to his knees. Feeling incredible relief. Because he was accepted.

Rembrandt wrote “The Prodigal Son” a few months before his death. This is the culmination of his creativity. His main masterpiece. In front of which a crowd gathers every day. What is it that attracts people so much?

Special interpretation of the parable

Before us is a plot from a biblical parable. The father had two sons. The younger one demanded part of his inheritance. Having received easy money, he went to see the world and enjoy life. Revels, card games, lots of booze. But the money quickly disappeared. There was nothing left to live on.

Next - hunger, cold, humiliation. He hired himself as a swineherd. To eat pig food. But this life turned out to be so hand to mouth that the son understood. The only way out- return to father. And he will ask to be his worker. After all, they are more well-fed than he, his own son.

And here he is at his father’s house. Meets his father. It was this moment of the parable that many artists chose for their paintings. But Rembrandt's work is completely different from the work of his contemporaries.

Take a look at Jan Steen's painting.


Jan Steen. Return of the Prodigal Son. 1668-1670 Private collection. wikiart.org

Unlike Rembrandt, Jan Steen was very popular. Because it fully corresponded to the tastes of customers at that time. Who wanted to see fun. Your good and well-fed life.

Hence the basket of fruit on the woman’s head. And a calf, which the delighted father ordered to be slaughtered on the occasion of his son’s return. And they even blow the horn. In order to announce to the neighbors about a joyful event in the family.

Now compare this everyday scene with a painting by Rembrandt. Who did not add minor details. We don't even see our son's face. Rembrandt does everything to make us focus on the main thing. On the feelings of the main characters.

Similar tastes prevailed in other countries. The artists added spectacular details. Thus, the Spanish artist Murillo even painted clothes on a tray. Which the father ordered to be given to his returning son.

We also see the same poor calf. Which they want to prepare in honor of a joyful event.


Murillo. Return of the Prodigal Son. 1667-1670 National Gallery Washington, USA. nga.org

Can you imagine this calf by Rembrandt?

Of course not. Rembrandt's painting is about something completely different. Not about the external attributes of generosity. Oh inner feelings father.

It is much more difficult to convey this. But Rembrandt does it so well that everything external attributes seem ridiculous. This is his genius.

Rembrandt technique

Rembrandt is entirely focused on rendering inner world their heroes. This is reflected in his technique. We don't see standard color range. We see a fusion of red, brown and golden shades.

The paint strokes are applied abruptly, as if carelessly. The artist does not hide them. No slickness.



The chiaroscuro in the painting is also unusual. The main characters are illuminated by a dim light source. The brightest spot is my father's forehead. There is twilight all around. Which fades into almost pitch darkness in the background. Such transitions from light to shadow add emotionality.

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Down with external beauty

Rembrandt did not care about a person's external beauty. His Prodigal Son is truly tormented by life. His appearance is unpleasant. Hole in the back. Worn feet. Bare skull.


Rembrandt. Return of the Prodigal Son. Fragment. 1669 State Hermitage Museum

Now look at the Prodigal Son Nikolai Losev.

Yes, his clothes are worn out. Even too much. This is more of a theatrical attribute. False, of course. After all, under this holey rag there is a muscular, beautiful body. Well-haired, too. The father in white robes looks like a fairy-tale prophet. Very beautiful. Even the dog is beautiful.


Nikolay Losev. Return of the Prodigal Son. 1882 National Art Museum The Republic of Belarus. Wikipedia.org

Now compare this painting with Rembrandt's work. And you will understand who came out more truthfully. More emotional.

Rembrandt's personal tragedy

Rembrandt created “The Prodigal Son” immediately after the tragedy that befell him. His son Titus died. He was barely 26 years old.

He was born from his first wife. Beloved Saskia. Who died when the boy was 10 months old. The child was very welcome. Before him, the couple lost three children in infancy.

Titus was very loving son. He believed in his father's genius. And he did everything so that his father continued to create.

Rembrandt. Titus as a monk. 1660 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Wikipedia.org

After creditors took away Rembrandt's house and his rich collection, he had to move to the outskirts of the city.

Titus, barely grown up, organized an enterprise selling paintings. My father's paintings sold poorly. The son traded paintings by other artists. So that my father could work calmly in his workshop.

And so Titus died of consumption.

Only work could save Rembrandt from complete madness. Drive away thoughts of suicide.

He decided to write the Prodigal Son. Like a stronghold of your dreams. One day, hug your son again. Weak, old, sick. What was Rembrandt himself like at that time? Capable of only a light touch. But just to hug.

The depth of fatherly love is conveyed through brush and paint. We empathize with Rembrandt. Although we have no idea about it. But these unconscious feelings attract our eyes to the picture even more strongly...

“You have to die several times to paint like this” Van Gogh (about Rembrandt).

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In the 17th century, a plot based on the Bible was very popular among artists of that time. In particular, brush masters then tried to depict on their canvases the plot of the return of the prodigal son. It tells that the unlucky son took part of his father's inheritance, began to walk and behave in the best possible way. After he was overcome by drunkenness and revelry, he had to become a swineherd, as a result, his immature soul was unable to withstand all the trials that befell him, young man I had to return to my father. Naturally the most loving person accepted it, could not hold back my tears.

The main idea of ​​the picture

The canvas is very dark. Sometimes even not the first time you can distinguish the faces of some characters in the picture. The action takes place in front of a rich house, where the son and father met after a long separation. The whole family gathered to watch how this long-awaited meeting for the father would take place. He is blind, but even with his illness he turned out to be surprisingly perspicacious and his heart is filled with kindness and love. The canvas is dark, even a little angular, but despite this, one can distinguish Inner Light, which gradually seeps into the soul and cleanses it.

Heroes of the picture



It is interesting that the two main characters, father and son, are not located in the center of the picture. This way the main idea is better visible. Rembrandt was amazingly able to shift attention to the main characters not through their location on the canvas, but thanks to the light, which makes it clear who exactly is in the foreground.

The Prodigal Son is depicted with a shaved head, and this is no coincidence. The fact is that at that time only convicts wore this look, so it becomes clear that the young man is on the lowest rung of the social ladder. The collar speaks of the luxury he once lived in.

Each image in the picture says something. Thus, the image of an older brother symbolizes conscience, and the image of a mother symbolizes boundless mother's love. Some say that the painting itself suggests a rebirth of the artist's images. There are 4 more figures, they are hidden in the darkness.

Rembrandt made them symbolize:

• Faith;
• Repentance;
• Hope;
• The truth;
• Love.

The painting is considered a path to purification, to the improvement of man and to his self-knowledge. This comes from the fact that the author of the painting was never considered a pious person, which is why many consider the very center of the painting to be a reflection of Rembrandt’s soul. He is not a participant, he is an observer.

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