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Return of the Prodigal Son

ca. 1615–16
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Having wasted his inheritance, the prodigal son returns to his forgiving father, who welcomes him with open arms and provides him with fresh clothing. The figure at left is perhaps the prodigal’s older brother, disconcerted by the welcome his wayward brother has received. Valentin treats the biblical parable as a poignantly human story of repentance, forgiveness, and charity, with the viewer imagined less as a passive observer than an engaged witness.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Return of the Prodigal Son
  • Artist: Valentin de Boulogne (French, Coulommiers-en-Brie 1591–1632 Rome)
  • Date: ca. 1615–16
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 59 1/16 × 70 1/16 in. (150 × 178 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Museo della Venerabile Arciconfraternita della Misericordia, Florence
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings
Valentin de Boulogne - Return of the Prodigal Son - The Metropolitan Museum of Art