The Prodigal Son Driven Out
Historical Context
The Prodigal Son Driven Out, painted around 1660 and now in the National Gallery of Ireland, depicts the moment when the dissolute son is expelled from a house of entertainment after exhausting his inheritance. Murillo renders the scene with dramatic contrast between the finely dressed courtesans who cast him out and the bewildered youth whose finery is already fading to rags. The painting belongs to Murillo's Prodigal Son series, which provided a complete visual narrative of the parable. The subject allowed Murillo to paint scenes of both luxury and degradation, demonstrating his range while delivering the moral message of repentance and divine mercy central to Counter-Reformation preaching.
Technical Analysis
The dynamic composition captures the moment of expulsion with animated gestures and strong diagonals. Murillo's palette shifts from the warm revelry tones of earlier scenes to cooler, harsher light suggesting the protagonist's changed fortunes.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the coolness of the light in the expulsion scene: Murillo shifts the palette toward harder, less warm tones to suggest the protagonist's changed fortunes.
- ◆Look at the dynamic gestures of the courtesans casting the prodigal out — animated, dismissive hands contrasting with the bewildered youth's retreating posture.
- ◆Find the architectural setting of the entertainment house: Murillo created a specific social environment for the expulsion, distinct from the domestic settings of earlier scenes.
- ◆Observe the National Gallery of Ireland provenance: the Dublin collection holds multiple Murillo Prodigal Son scenes from this series.
