The prodigal son

This 1640 Prodigal Son depicts the New Testament parable of repentance and forgiveness that was enormously popular in Flemish Baroque painting. The subject allowed artists to depict both the dissolute life (tavern scenes) and the emotional reunion between father and son. Jordaens, who outlived both Rubens and Van Dyck to become the dominant figure in Flemish Baroque painting for the second half of the seventeenth century, was particularly celebrated for his exuberant genre subjects, especially his series on the Flemish proverb about the King of the Bean.

Jordaens brings his characteristic earthiness to the parable, with robust, naturalistic figures and warm, golden light that emphasizes the humanity of the biblical narrative.