Dutch painter who painted the return of the prodigal son. Rembrandt

The main difference between the work of Rembrandt van Rijn is its timeless character. Historically related to the heyday Dutch painting XVII century, it does not allow to find an explicit link to it, neither in terms of the topics covered in the paintings, nor in artistic means with which he reveals these topics. This property of Rembrandt's painting matures over the course of the master's life, reaching a maximum towards the end of it.

"Return prodigal son"- a picture that is considered to be a testament brilliant artist. Art historians usually date it to 1663, the year the maestro died. The scale of the philosophical content of this plot, and the picturesque sound of the canvas reach a truly cosmic scale.

Eternal plot

He was primarily interested in the depths of human nature, the motives of people's actions. Therefore, it is understandable why Rembrandt wrote on biblical subjects much more often than his contemporaries. The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most popular subjects in world art. “The Return of the Prodigal Son” is a picture that has a separate value in itself, but it is also a continuation of the conversation. They had their own interpretations of the parable Hieronymus Bosch, Albrecht Durer, Murillo and many other masters different countries and generations.

Rembrandt himself refers to this plot more than once - his etchings with the title "Prodigal Son" are known. Reasoning on this topic is found by researchers of Rembrandt's work even in such a famous work of the master as "Self-portrait with Saskia on her knees" (1635). This is also a kind of "Return of the Prodigal Son" - a picture that they interpret as an illustration of that part of the parable that tells about the profligacy of a son who thoughtlessly spends his father's inheritance. From this point of view, the joy of being, which the master’s canvases, written in the happiest periods of life, radiate, is complemented by a slightly different shade.

The painter is not life, but the spirit

The originality is explained by his purely pictorial techniques, the use of a palette, work with light and shadow. If the majority of the “Little Dutch” and artists consonant with them are characterized by the desire for an accurate and tangible depiction of things, the expression of their material essence, then in Rembrandt objects appear from non-existence or “from the darkness of the past”, being in close relationship with the passage of time, with history. By writing The Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt confirmed his loyalty to the special atmosphere inherent only to him, which highlights the main thing on the canvas, without depriving the light of a single important detail.

And this is not just a virtuoso game of the “master of chiaroscuro”, as historians and experts on his work call the brilliant Dutchman. This is an extra designation of the primacy for him of the internal content of human actions, the search for their motivating causes. Where does the essence of man come from, who created it, and how does that which determines being change? By the fact that he raises such questions and offers his own answers, not related to the time in which he lived, neither internal nor external attributes, Rembrandt shows that he is modern and always relevant.

"The Return of the Prodigal Son": description

His pictorial style is such a means of creating a narrative, telling stories that no other artist has ever had. As Rembrandt says an ancient parable about returning home?

... We are present during the pause that came after the son stepped up to the threshold of his father's house. This pause is not silent - it rings ... After all, too much has been lost - his head is shaved like a convict's, his shoes are worn out, he has neither the strength nor the means to achieve something, not even desires and ambitions. A terrible ending to unfulfilled hopes. The father comes out to meet him and simply puts his hands on the shoulders of his son, and he falls, almost dissolving in the folds of his clothes. “The Return of the Prodigal Son” is a picture about the end of all earthly paths, where at the end there will be a golden ray, similar to the one that illuminated those who met, illuminated one of the most outstanding Rembrandt images - the father’s head. This ray is the mercy that all the erring should hope for.

Questions and answers

Like his other masterpieces, Rembrandt endows The Return of the Prodigal Son with many mysteries and secrets. Perhaps they appeared simply because of a long temporary detachment, and at the time of writing the picture, it was clear to its viewers, for example, who the rest of the characters in the canvas were, why they looked at the visitor in such a different way, with such a different feeling. Why are the hands of the father's hands, lying on the shoulders of the son, so strikingly different from each other?

With the prescription of time, much has been lost, and most of the secrets have simply lost their meaning. Indeed, does it really matter, in the end, in what kindred relations are the people present on the canvas? Are they important social status or material condition? Now they are all just witnesses of an exciting event - a meeting after a long separation of two relatives, witnesses of an act of forgiveness, on which the Christian worldview is largely based.

For all time

Rembrandt van Rijn... "The Return of the Prodigal Son" is a scene that is almost literally repeated in the finale famous movie Andrei Arsenievich Tarkovsky "Solaris", released in 1972.

Images, born many centuries before, turn out to be the most suitable for expressing the feelings experienced by main character film - Chris Kelvin, returning to his native threshold from a star system located millions of kilometers away ...

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 fact, this symbolized that he wishes 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 his father's house. Life beyond his means, the deterioration of the economic situation in the country where he ended up, led to the fact that soon the young man squandered everything he had. He was faced with a choice - death or repentance: “How many hirelings from my father are abundant in bread, and 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 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired hands."

The father, when meeting with his son, ordered to slaughter the best calf and arrange a holiday. At the same time, he utters the phrase, sacramental for all Christianity: “This son of mine was dead and is alive, disappeared and was found.” This is an allegory for the return of lost sinners to the bosom of the church.

"Prodigal Son in a Tavern" (1635). Another name is "Self-portrait with Saskia on her knees."
On the canvas, Rembrandt portrayed himself as the prodigal son, wasting his father's inheritance

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

Rembrandt allowed himself to deviate from the classical text. First, he portrayed his father as blind. The text does not explicitly 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 had no vision problems.

Secondly, Rembrandt's eldest son is present at the meeting - a tall man on right. In the classic text, he comes when preparations are already in the house for the celebration on the occasion of the return younger brother.

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

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

The eldest son is aloof. His hands are tightly clenched - you can see the internal struggle that takes place in him. Angry at his father, the eldest son must make a choice whether to accept his younger brother or not.

In addition to the main characters, Rembrandt depicted other people on the canvas. Who they are cannot be said for sure. It is possible that these are servants, with the help of which the artist wanted to convey the pre-holiday fuss and bright mood.

Context

"Return of the Prodigal Son" last picture Rembrandt. Work on it was preceded by a series of losses that stretched for 25 years: from the death of the first, beloved wife Saskia and all the children she gave birth to, 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 her merchants seemed to be everywhere - even with Japan there was trade (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 then used in the work. Even for self-portraits, Rembrandt dressed up in overseas and tried on new images.

The fate of the artist

Rembrandt was born in Leiden to 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 be malnourished, but did not skimp on the paintings.

After studying for three years (which was enough to start your own business, as it was then thought) from your uncle - professional artist, - Rembrandt and a friend opened a workshop in Leiden. Although there were orders, they were rather monotonous and did not carry away. Work began to boil after moving to Amsterdam. There he soon met Saskia van Uilenbürch, the daughter of the mayor of Leeuwarden, and without hesitation married.

. The painting that quarreled the artist with all the customers depicted on the canvas

Saskia was his muse, inspiration, light. He painted her portrait in various attire and images. At the same time, she was from a wealthy family, which also allowed them to live in a big way. The latter circumstance irritated Saskia's relatives - the classical Flemings, who could not bear the unbridled life beyond their means. They even sued Rembrandt, accusing him of squandering, but the artist presented, as they would say today, a certificate of income and proved that he and his wife had enough fees for all the whims.

After the death of Saskia, Rembrandt fell into depression for a while, even stopped working. The owner of an already unpleasant character, he became completely merciless to others - he was bilious, stubborn, self-willed and even rude. In many respects, therefore, contemporaries tried not to write anything about Rembrandt - the bad is indecent, but apparently there was no good.

Hendrikje Stoffels (1655)

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

Today we do not even know where the remains of the artist are located. He was buried in the cemetery for the poor. In the funeral procession was only his daughter Cornelia from Hendrikje Stoffels, the third wife (not official, but, one might say, civil). After the death of Rembrandt, Cornelia got married and left for Indonesia. There traces of her family are lost. As for information about Rembrandt himself, over the past decades it has been collected literally bit by bit - during the life of the artist, much was lost, not to mention the fact that no one purposefully conducted his biography.

While working on the painting "Night Watch", Rembrandt's beloved wife, Saskia, died. Relatives of the deceased began to pursue the artist with litigation over the inheritance, trying to snatch part of the dowry bequeathed to Rembrandt by Saskia.

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1669. Oil on canvas, 262x206.
State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

But not only relatives persecuted Rembrandt. He was always besieged by creditors who attacked the great artist like a greedy pack. And in general, Rembrandt was never surrounded by honors, was never in the center of general attention, did not sit in the forefront, not a single poet during Rembrandt's lifetime sang of him. At official celebrations, on days of great festivities, they forgot about him. And he did not love and shun those who neglected him. The usual and beloved company was shopkeepers, philistines, peasants, artisans - the simplest people. He liked to visit the port taverns, where sailors, junk dealers, itinerant actors, petty thieves and their girlfriends had fun. He sat there with pleasure for hours, watching the bustle and sometimes sketching interesting faces, which he then transferred to his canvases.

Now in the Amsterdam house, in which the great Rembrandt lived for more than 20 years, the Museum is located. And once this house was sold for debts. Rembrandt himself was then sitting at a court session with such indifferent look as if the matter had nothing to do with him. He did not hear the speeches of the judge and the cries of creditors. His thoughts hovered so far from the meeting that he either could not answer this or that question of the judge, or his answers had no connection with the court case.

It was the turn of van der Piet, the artist's lawyer, to speak. Slowly and emphatically he outlined the situation. Cleverly, prudently and diligently defending Rembrandt's behavior, he appealed to human feelings creditors and to the judge's sense of fairness. He threw convincing, caustic and passionate words: “Let those burn with shame who, in the name of insignificant sums of money that do not threaten them with the slightest loss or misfortune, want to make Rembrandt a beggar / I, van der Piet, am speaking here not only as a lawyer debtor, I speak on behalf of all mankind, which wants to avert undeserved blows of fate from one of his great sons ... equal to Shakespeare / Think all who are here: we will be covered by grave hills, we will disappear from the memory of descendants, and the name of Rembrandt will be for centuries thunder over the world, and his shining works will be the pride of the whole earth!"...

Yes, Rembrandt's paintings are undoubtedly the pinnacle of Dutch painting, and in the artist's own work, one of these peaks was the painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son". He wrote it in the last year of his life, when he was already old, poor, mortally ill and infirm, living in hunger and cold. And yet, in defiance of fate, he wrote, wrote and wrote in the country and city, which he glorified forever.

The theme for painting the picture was a well-known gospel parable, which tells how, after long wanderings in an uncomfortable world, the prodigal son returned with unfulfilled hopes to his father who had been abandoned by him. This story attracted many artists long before Rembrandt. The masters of the Renaissance saw the reconciliation of a father with a disobedient son as a beautiful and entertaining spectacle. So, in the picture of the Venetian artist Bonifacio, the action takes place in front of a rich estate, in front of a crowded, discharged crowd. Dutch artists attracted more of the test that the rebellious son was subjected to in a foreign land (for example, the scene when the stray descended on barnyard among the pigs, he was ready to atone for his sins with a pious prayer).

Rembrandt's theme of the "prodigal son" accompanied for many years of his life. He referred to this plot as early as 1636, when he was working on an etching under the same name. In his paintings on biblical and gospel subjects, the artist rarely depicted scenes of passions or miracles, he was more attracted to stories about people's everyday life, especially scenes from the patriarchal family life. For the first time, the story of the prodigal son was presented by Rembrandt in an engraving, in which he transferred the biblical story to a Dutch setting and depicted the son as a bony, half-naked creature. The drawing also dates back to this time, in which the father vigorously squeezes the shaggy head of the penitent son with his hand: even at the moment of reconciliation, he wants to show his paternal authority.

Rembrandt returned to this theme many times, and over the years he presented it differently each time. In the early versions, the son vigorously expresses his repentance and humility. In a series of later drawings, the spiritual impulses of father and son are not so exposed, the element of edification disappears. Subsequently, Rembrandt began to take an almost accidental meeting of the old father and son, in which the forces human love and forgiveness is just about to unfold. Sometimes it was a lonely old man, sitting in a spacious room, before him his wicked son knelt down. Sometimes it is an old man who goes out into the street, where an unexpected meeting awaits him; or his son comes up to him and holds him tightly in his arms.

After 30 years, the artist creates a composition that is less detailed, narrative, in which the emphasis is shifted to the old father. The plot of the painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son" is not directly related to the previous sketches, but it was in it that Rembrandt put all his creative experience and perhaps the most important thing from life experience.

Rembrandt thoughtfully read the biblical story, but he was not a simple illustrator who seeks to reproduce the text exactly. He got used to the parable so much, as if he himself had witnessed what happened, and this gave him the right to tell what was left unsaid.

Several people gathered in a small area in front of the house. Ragged, beggarly, in rags girded with rope, with the shaved head of a convict, the prodigal son is on his knees and hides his face on the old man's chest. Overwhelmed with shame and remorse, he, perhaps for the first time in many years, felt the warmth of a human embrace. And the father, leaning towards the "tramp", with careful tenderness presses him to himself. His senile, unsteady hands lie affectionately on his son's back. This minute in its own way psychological state equal to eternity, the years pass before both of them, spent by them without each other and brought so much mental anguish. It seems that suffering has already broken them so much that the joy of meeting did not bring relief.

The meeting of father and son takes place, as it were, at the junction of two spaces: a porch is guessed in the distance and behind it a cozy father's house. In front of the picture, it is implied and invisibly present the boundless space of the roads traveled by the son, the world alien and turned out to be hostile to him.

The figures of father and son make up a closed group, under the influence of the feeling that gripped them, they seemed to have merged together. Rising above the kneeling son, the father touches him with soft movements of the hands. His face, hands, posture - everything speaks of peace and happiness found after years painful waiting. The forehead of the father, as it were, radiates light, and this is the brightest place in the picture.

Nothing breaks the focused silence. Those present are watching the meeting of father and son with intense attention. Among them, a man standing on the right in a red cloak stands out, whose figure, as it were, connects the main characters with the people around them.

The person standing behind closely follows what is happening. His gaze is wide open eyes says that he was imbued with all the importance and seriousness of the moment. A woman standing at a distance looks at the father and son with sincere sympathy. It is difficult to say who these people are. Perhaps Rembrandt did not strive for individual characteristics present, as they serve only as an addition to the main group.

Rembrandt long and persistently searched for the figure of the prodigal son, already in the prototypes of numerous drawings and sketches, the prodigal son is guessed. In the picture, he is almost the only one in classical painting a hero who completely turned away from the audience. The young man traveled a lot, experienced and experienced a lot: his head is covered with scabs, his shoes are worn out. One of them fell off his foot, and the viewer sees his hardened heel. He barely reached the threshold of his father's house and, exhausted, knelt down. A rough shoe that fell off his foot eloquently speaks of how long the path was traveled, what humiliations he was subjected to. The viewer does not have the opportunity to see his face, but following the prodigal son, he also, as it were, enters the picture and falls to his knees.

A mysterious light pours from the depths of the gloomy canvas. He gently envelops the figure of a blind father who stepped out of the darkness towards his son. The people around seemed to freeze in anticipation of words about forgiveness, but there are no words... The old father, indeed, gives the impression of a blind man, although the parable does not say anything about his blindness. But she, apparently, seemed to Rembrandt something more capable of convexly depicting the excitement of a touched heart.

The feeling of boundless joy and love captured the father entirely, in fact, he does not even hug his son, since he no longer has the strength for this and his hands are not able to press his son to him. He simply feels it, thereby forgiving and protecting.

Art critic M. Alpatov considers the father to be the main character in the painting, and the prodigal son is just an excuse for the father to show his generosity. He even believes that the picture could be called "Father Forgiving the Prodigal Son."

One who appreciates mainly external beauty, perhaps, will find in this picture of Rembrandt a lot of ugly and angular. But the mysterious effect of light, intensified by the far-reaching darkness, rivets any spectator to itself, and the harmony of wonderful shades of colors acts on his soul like the melodies of ancient church hymns.

"One Hundred Great Paintings" by N. A. Ionina, publishing house "Veche", 2002

nearyou.ru

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606—1669) — Dutch painter, painter and engraver, Great master chiaroscuro, the largest representative of the golden age of Dutch painting. He managed to embody in his works the whole range of human experiences with such emotional richness, which fine art did not know before him.

Perhaps no other painting by Rembrandt inspires such lofty feelings as this picture. In world art there are few works of such intense emotional impact as the monumental Hermitage painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son."

The story is taken from the New Testament.

The return of the prodigal son - this is a feeling of boundless joy of the family and fatherly protection. Probably, therefore, it is possible to call the main character the father, and not the prodigal son, who became the reason for the manifestation of generosity. Ethen sorrow for lost youth, regret that it is impossible to return the lost days.

This story attracted many famous predecessors of Rembrandt: Durer, Bosch, Luke of Leiden, Rubens.

The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1669. Oil on canvas, 262x206.
State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

One man had two sons. The younger son wanted to get his part of the estate, and the father divided the estate between his sons. Soon younger son gathered everything he had and went to a far country. There he squandered all his wealth on a dissolute life. In the end, he was in dire need and was forced to work as a swineherd.

He was so hungry that he was ready to fill his stomach with slop that was given to pigs. But he was deprived of this too, because. famine began in the country. And then he thought: “How many servants are there in my father's house and there is enough food for all of them. And I'm dying of hunger here. I will go back to my father and say that I have sinned against heaven and against it.” And he returned home. When he was still far away, his father saw him, and he felt sorry for his son. He ran to meet him, hugged him and began to kiss.

He said: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants: “Go quickly, bring him the best clothes and dress him. Put a ring on his hand and put on sandals. Bring a fattened calf and slaughter it. Let's make a feast and celebrate. After all, my son was dead, and now he is alive again! He was lost and now found!” And they began to celebrate.

The eldest son was in the field at that time. When he approached the house, he heard that there was music and dancing in the house. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on there. “Your brother came,” answered the servant, “and your father slaughtered a fattened calf, because his son is healthy and everything is fine with him.”

The eldest son was angry and did not even want to go into the house. Then the father came out and begged him. But the son said: “All these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have always done everything you said. But you never slaughtered even a goat for me so that I could have fun with my friends.

But when this son of yours, who had squandered all your property in debauchery, returned home, you slaughtered a fattened calf for him!” "My son! - Then the father said, - you are always with me, and everything that I have is all yours. But we should rejoice that your brother was dead, and now he is alive again, was lost and found!”

The religious meaning of the parable is this: no matter how a person sins, repentance will always be rewarded with joyful forgiveness.

ABOUT PICTURE

This picture is undoubtedly crowning later work Rembrandt, about the repentant return of the son, about the disinterested forgiveness of the father, clearly and convincingly reveals the deep humanity of the story.

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 a figure standing on the right.

As always, the artist's imagination drew everything that happened very concretely. There is not a single place in the vast canvas that is not filled with the subtlest changes in color. The action takes place at the entrance to the house to our right, covered with ivy and veiled in darkness.

The prodigal son, who collapsed on his knees before his decrepit father, having reached the last stage of poverty and humiliation in his wanderings, is an image that embodies the tragic way knowledge of life. The wanderer is wearing clothes that were once rich, but now turned into sackcloth. The left of his tattered sandals fell off his foot.

But it is not the eloquence of the narrative that determines the impression of this picture. In majestic, strict images, the depth and tension of feelings are revealed here, and Rembrandt achieves this in the complete absence of dynamics - in fact, action - in the whole picture.

FATHER AND SON

The picture is dominated by “only one figure - the father, depicted in front, with a wide, blessing gesture of his hands, which he almost symmetrically puts on the shoulders of his son.

The father is a dignified old man, with noble features, dressed in regal-sounding red robes. Take a closer look at this man - he seems older than time itself, and his blind eyes are inexplicable just like the young man's rags written in gold. The dominant position of the father in the picture is confirmed by both silent triumph and hidden splendor. It reflects compassion, forgiveness and love.

A father who puts his hands on his son's dirty shirt as if he is performing a sacred sacrament, shaken by the depth of feeling, he should hold on to his son as well as hold him ...

From the noble head of the father, from his precious attire, our gaze descends to the shaved head, the criminal skull of the son, to his rags hanging randomly on the body, to the soles of the feet, boldly exposed towards the viewer, blocking his gaze ..

The master placed the main figures at the junction of the picturesque and the real spaces (later the canvas was added below, but according to the author's intention, its lower edge passed at the level of the toes kneeling son.

At present, the picture has become very dark, and therefore, in ordinary light, only the foreground is distinguishable in it, a narrow stage platform with a group of father and son on the left and a tall wanderer in a red cloak, who is standing to our right on the last - second - step of the porch. A mysterious light pours from the depths of the twilight behind the canvas.

He gently envelops the figure, as if blinded before our eyes, of the old father, who stepped out of the darkness to meet us, and the son, who, with his back to us, fell to the knees of the old man, asking for forgiveness. But there are no words. Only the hands, the sighted hands of the father gently feel the dear flesh. The silent tragedy of recognition, returned love, so skillfully conveyed by the artist.

SECONDARY FIGURES

In addition to the father and son, 4 more characters are depicted in the picture. These are dark silhouettes that are hardly distinguishable against a dark background, but who they are remains a mystery. Some called them "brothers and sisters" of the protagonist. It is characteristic that Rembrandt avoids conflict: the parable speaks of the jealousy of an obedient son, and the harmony of the picture is not broken in any way.

The woman in the upper left corner

Figure, which resembles an allegory of Love, and, in addition, has a red heart-shaped medallion. Perhaps this is the image of the mother of the prodigal son.

Two figures in the background, located in the center (apparently female, possibly a maid.A seated young man with a mustache, if you follow the plot of the parable, may be a second, obedient brother.

The attention of researchers is riveted by 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 vividly as the main characters. His face expresses sympathy, and the traveling cloak put on him and staff in the hands suggest that this, like the prodigal son, is a lonely wanderer.

There is another version that two figures on the right side of the picture: a young man in a beret and standing man- these are the same father and son that are depicted on the other half, but only before the departure of the prodigal son from the house to meet revels. Thus, the canvas, as it were, combines two chronological plans. The opinion was expressed that these two figures are the image of the publican and the Pharisee from the gospel parable.

Flutist

In profile, in the form of a bas-relief on the right side of the standing witness, a musician is depicted playing the flute. His figure, perhaps, is reminiscent of music, which in a few moments will fill the father's house with the sounds of joy. t.

The circumstances of writing the canvas are mysterious. It is believed to be written in last years artist's life. Changes and corrections of the original intent of the painting, visible on the x-ray, testify to the authenticity of the canvas.

Drawing from 1642

Rembrandt The Return of the Prodigal Son. etching on paper, State Museum, Amsterdam

How did this painting get to Russia?

Prince Dmitry Alekseevich Golitsyn bought it on behalf of Catherine II for the Hermitage in 1766 from Andre d'Ansezen, the last Duke of Cadrus. And he, in turn, inherited the painting from his wife, whose grandfather, Charles Colbert, carried out diplomatic missions in Holland Louis XIV and there, most likely, he bought it.

Rembrandt died at 63 in complete solitude, but discovered painting as a path to the best of all worlds, as the unity of the existence of image and thought.

His work of recent years is not only a reflection on the meanings biblical story about the prodigal son, but also the ability to accept oneself without anything and forgive oneself before seeking forgiveness from God or higher powers.

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 5

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 took pity; 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 the famous predecessors of Rembrandt: Dürer, Bosch, Luke Leiden, Rubens.

Description

This is the largest painting by Rembrandt on a religious theme.

Several people gathered in a small area in front of the house. On the left side of the picture, the 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 the son's shoulders, embracing 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 the eldest son standing on the right. Placing the main semantic center at one third of the distance in height corresponds to the law of the golden section, which since ancient times has been used by artists to achieve the greatest expressiveness of their creations.

Shaved like a convict, the head of the prodigal son and his shabby clothes testify to the fall. The collar keeps a hint of former luxury. The shoes are worn out, and a touching detail - one fell when the son knelt down. In the depths, a porch is guessed and behind it the father's house. The master placed the main figures at the junction of the picturesque and real spaces (later the canvas was placed at the bottom, but according to the author's plan, its lower edge passed at the level of the kneeling son's toes). “The depth of space is conveyed by a consistent weakening of light and shade and color contrasts, starting from the foreground. In fact, it is built by the figures of witnesses to the scene of forgiveness, gradually dissolving in the twilight. “We have a decentralized composition with main group(the node of the event) 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 the father and son, 4 more characters are depicted in the picture. These are dark silhouettes that are hardly distinguishable against a dark background, but who they are remains a mystery. Some called them "brothers and sisters" of the protagonist. It is characteristic that Rembrandt avoids conflict: the parable speaks of the jealousy of an obedient son, and the harmony of the picture is not broken in any way.

Hermitage employee Irina Linnik believes that Rembrandt's painting has a prototype in the woodcut by Cornelis Antonissen (1541), in which the 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, an engraving in Greek, Hebrew and Latin says "God". The X-ray of the Hermitage canvas showed the initial similarity of the Rembrandt painting with the details of the mentioned engraving. However, a direct analogy cannot be drawn - the painting has only a vague resemblance to one of Antonissen's allegories (the farthest and almost disappearing in the dark), which resembles an allegory of Love, and, in addition, has a red heart-shaped medallion. Perhaps this is the image of the mother of the prodigal son.

The two figures in the background, located in the center (apparently, a female, possibly a servant or another personified allegory; and a male) are more difficult to guess. A seated young man with a mustache, if you follow the plot of the parable, may be a second, obedient brother. There is speculation that the second brother is actually the previous "female" figure hugging the column. And, perhaps, this is not just a column - in form it resembles a 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 acquires a symbolic meaning.

The attention of researchers is riveted by the figure of the last witness, located on the right side of the picture. She plays an important role in the composition and is written almost as vividly as the main characters. His face expresses sympathy, and the traveling cloak put on him and the staff in his hands suggest that he, like the prodigal son, is a lonely wanderer. Israeli researcher Galina Lyuban believes that this image is associated with the figure of the Eternal Zhid. According to other assumptions, it is he who is the eldest son, which does not coincide with the age characteristics of the New Testament character, although he is also bearded and dressed like a father. However, this rich clothing is also a refutation of the version, because according to the Gospel, having heard about the return of his brother, he ran 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 that are depicted on the other half, but only before the prodigal son leaves the house towards revelry. Thus, the canvas, as it were, combines two chronological plans. The opinion was expressed that these two figures are the image of the publican and the Pharisee from the gospel parable.

In profile, in the form of a bas-relief on the right side of the standing witness, a musician is depicted playing the flute. His figure, perhaps, is reminiscent of music, which in a few moments will fill the father's house with the sounds of joy.

Story

Circumstances of creation

This is not the only work of the artist on this subject. In 1635, he painted the painting “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern (Self-Portrait with Saskia on His Knees)”, reflecting an episode of the legend of 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 of writing the canvas are mysterious. It is believed that it was written in the last years of the artist's life. Changes and corrections of the original intent of the painting, visible on the x-ray, testify to the authenticity of the canvas.

The dating of 1666-1669 is considered by some to be disputed. Art historians G. Gerson and I. Linnik suggested that the painting be dated 1661 or 1663.

•