Rembrandt wrote his painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son" shortly before his death. Some connoisseurs of painting call this canvas the culmination of his work. But few people know that the famous biblical story was a reflection of real tragic events in the life of the master.
The biblical plot of the picture is known, perhaps, to everyone. The father had two sons. The elder helped his father in housekeeping, and the younger demanded his part of the inheritance and went to indulge in all the vices of a wild life. When the money ran out, the unlucky son was at the very bottom. He had to graze pigs for a bowl of porridge, wander, beg. As a result, he decided to return to his father's house and fall on his knees before his parent. The father forgives the son.
It was this moment in the parable that the most famous painters chose for themselves. Rembrandt also depicted the scene of the arrival of the prodigal son home. However, his work differs from the canvases of other painters.
If we compare the paintings of Rembrandt and other artists, then their striking contrast becomes visible. For example, Jan Steen, who was at one time much more popular than Rembrandt, has the same plot in the picture, but is made in a more optimistic manner. Servants blow a horn, lead a calf to be slaughtered, carry good clothes.
Almost the same thing is observed in the Spanish artist Murillo. Immediately again, a charming calf is seen, clothes on a tray, a joyful dog.
Rembrandt lacks all unnecessary attributes, he focused only on the emotions of father and son. It would be more correct to say that the experiences on the face of the prodigal son are not visible, but his appearance and posture can say a lot. Torn clothes, worn shoes, calluses on the feet - all this conveys the emotionality of the scene so deeply. And also love, the all-forgiving love of a father ...
The master wrote “The Return of the Prodigal Son” almost immediately after the terrible tragedy that befell him. His only son, Titus, passed away. He was the fruit of the love of Rembrandt and his beloved wife Saskia. Titus is the only surviving child in the family, the other three died in infancy.
Distraught with grief, his father persistently attended thoughts of suicide. Only the work on the painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son” helped not to make it. Rembrandt seemed to project himself into the place of the father in the biblical story, who had the good fortune to hug his child.
At the peak of his popularity, Rembrandt made good money, but
Before Great Lent, the Church remembers the parable of Christ about the prodigal son.
One man had two sons. The youngest of them said to his father: “Father! give me the part of the property that I will follow.” The father complied with his request. After a few days, the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a distant country and there, living dissolutely, squandered all his property.
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Gerrit van Honthorst. Prodigal son. 1622
When he had lived it all, there came a great famine in that country, and he began to be in need.
Exile of the prodigal son. Bartolomeo Murillo. 1660
And he went and joined (i.e., joined) one of the inhabitants of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Hungry, he would have been glad to eat the horns that the pigs ate; but no one gave it to him.
Then, having come to his senses, he remembered his father, repented of his deed and thought: “How many hirelings (workers) from my father eat bread in excess, and I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will 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."
And so he did. He got up and went home to his father. And when he was still far away, his father saw him and took pity on him. The father himself ran to meet his son, fell on his neck, kissed him. The son began to say: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
The return of the prodigal son. Bartolomeo Murillo 1667-1670
Prodigal son. James Tissot
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Return of the prodigal son
But he answered his father: “Behold, I have served you for so many years and have never transgressed (did not violate) your orders; but you never gave me a kid to play with my friends. And when this son of yours came, having dissolutely squandered his property, you slaughtered a fattened calf for him.
The father said to him: “My son! you are always with me, and all mine is yours. And you should have rejoiced and rejoiced because your brother was dead and is alive again; lost and found."
In this parable, the father is God, and the prodigal son is the repentant sinner. Every person is like the prodigal son, who with his soul moves away from God and indulges in a self-willed, sinful life; with his sins, he destroys his soul and all the gifts (life, health, strength, abilities) that he received from God. When a sinner, having come to his senses, brings sincere repentance to God, with humility and with hope for His mercy, then the Lord, as a merciful Father, rejoices with His angels at the conversion of the sinner, forgives him all his iniquities (sins), no matter how great they may be, and return to him His favors and gifts.
With the story of the eldest son, the Savior teaches that every believing Christian should wholeheartedly wish everyone salvation, rejoice at the conversion of sinners, not envy God's love for them and not consider themselves worthy of God's mercy more than those who turn to God from their former lawless life.
Text: Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy
Images: Open sources
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. Perhaps, 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 the 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 among his sons. Soon the youngest son gathered everything he had and went to a distant 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 THE PICTURE
This picture, undoubtedly crowning the late work of Rembrandt, about the repentant return of the son, about the disinterested forgiveness of the father, clearly and convincingly exposes 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 painted everything that was happening 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 path of knowing life with amazing power. 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, shocked 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 bald, criminal skull of the son, to his rags randomly hanging 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 normal 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 an 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. 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 staff in the hands suggest that this, like the prodigal son, is a lonely wanderer.
There is another 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.
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 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.
Drawing from 1642
Rembrandt The Return of the Prodigal Son. Etching on paper, Rijksmuseum, 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 for Louis XIV in Holland and most likely acquired it there.
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 of the 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.
Rembrandt. The return of the prodigal son. 1668 State Hermitage, Saint Petersburg.
"The Return of the Prodigal Son" The old father found peace again. His youngest son has returned. He does not hesitate to forgive him the wasted inheritance. No reproaches. Only mercy. Forgiving fatherly love.
And what about the son? He reached the point of extreme despair. Beggar and ragged, he forgot his pride. He fell to his knees. Feeling incredible relief. Because he was accepted.
"The Prodigal Son" Rembrandt wrote a few months before his death. This is the culmination of his work. His main masterpiece. In front of which a crowd gathers every day. What is it that attracts people so much?
A special interpretation of the parable
Before us is a story 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, a lot of booze. But the money quickly melted away. There was nothing to live on.
Further - hunger, cold, humiliation. Hired as a swineherd. To eat pig food. But this life turned out to be so starving that the son understood. The only way out is to return to the father. And ask him to work. After all, they are more full 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 Stan. The return of the prodigal son. 1668-1670 Private collection. wikiart.org Unlike Rembrandt, Jan Steen was very popular. Because it fully corresponded to the then tastes of customers. Who wanted to see fun. Your good and well-fed life.
Hence the fruit basket on the woman's head. And the calf, which the delighted father ordered to be slaughtered on the occasion of the return of his son. 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 Rembrandt painting. Who did not add secondary details. We don't even see our son's face. Rembrandt does everything to keep us focused on the essentials. On the feelings of the main characters.
Similar tastes prevailed in other countries. The artists added spectacular details. So, the Spanish artist Murillo even painted clothes on a tray. Which the father ordered to give to the returned son.
We also see the same poor calf. Which they want to cook in honor of a joyful event.
Murillo. The return of the prodigal son. 1667-1670 National Gallery of Washington, USA. www.nga.org Can you imagine this calf in Rembrandt?
Of course not. Rembrandt's painting is about something completely different. Not about the external attributes of generosity. And about the inner feelings of the father.
It's much more difficult to convey. But Rembrandt does it so well that all external attributes seem ridiculous. This is where his genius lies.
Rembrandt technique
Rembrandt is completely focused on conveying the inner world of his characters. This is reflected in his technique. We don't see a standard color scheme. We see a fusion of reds, browns and golden hues.
Strokes of paint are applied impetuously, as if carelessly. The artist does not hide them. No cuteness.
Unusual and chiaroscuro in the picture. The main characters are illuminated by a dim light source. The brightest spot is the father's forehead. Twilight all around. Which fades into almost total darkness in the background. Such transitions from light to shadow add emotionality.
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Down with outer beauty
Rembrandt did not care about the external beauty of a person. His Prodigal Son is tormented by life for real. His appearance is unpleasant. Hole on the back. Worn legs. Naked skull.
Rembrandt. The return of the prodigal son. Fragment. 1669 State Hermitage Now look at the Prodigal Son Nikolai Losev.
Yes, his clothes are worn out. Even too much. This is more of a theatrical attribute. Fake, of course. After all, under this holey rag is a muscular, beautiful body. Well cut as well. The father in white clothes looks like a fairy-tale prophet. Very nice. Even the dog is beautiful.
Nikolay Losev. The return of the prodigal son. 1882 National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. wikipedia.org Now compare this picture with the work of Rembrandt. And you will understand who came out more truthful. 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. Dear 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 a very loving son. He believed in the genius of his father. And he did everything so that his father continued to create.
Rembrandt. Titus as a monk. 1660 Rijksmuseum Museum, Amsterdam. wikipedia.org After the creditors took away the house and his rich collection from Rembrandt, they had to move to the outskirts of the city.
Barely grown up, Titus organized an enterprise for the sale of paintings. Father's paintings sold poorly. The son traded paintings by other artists. For my father to work quietly in his workshop.
The 17th century is known not only for the end of the Inquisition, but also for the fact that the plot of the biblical parable of the prodigal son became popular. The young man, who took his part of the inheritance and his father, went to travel. It all came down to drunkenness and revelry, and later the young man got a job as a swineherd. After long ordeals and hardships, he returned home, and his father accepted him and burst into tears ...
Artists of that time began to actively exploit the image of the unlucky son, depicting him either playing cards or indulging in pleasures with beautiful ladies. It was an allusion to the frailty and insignificance of the pleasures of the sinful world.
Then Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn appeared and in 1668-1669 he created a canvas that was so different from the generally accepted canons. In order to understand and reveal the deepest meaning of this plot, the artist went through a difficult life path - he lost all his loved ones, saw fame and fortune, sorrow and poverty.
"The Return of the Prodigal Son" is a sorrow for lost youth, regret that it is impossible to return the lost days and food for the minds of many historians and art critics.
Look at the canvas itself - it is gloomy, but filled with a special light from somewhere in the depths and demonstrates the area in front of a rich house. The whole family has gathered here, the blind father hugs his son, who is on his knees. This is the whole plot, but the canvas is special, at least in its compositional techniques.
The canvas is rich in special inner beauty, it is outwardly ugly and even angular. This is only the first impression, which is dispelled by a mysterious light that goes beyond the boundaries of darkness, capable of capturing the attention of any viewer and purifying his soul.
Rembrandt places the main figures not in the center, but somewhat shifted to the left side - this is how the main idea of the picture is best revealed. The artist highlights the most important thing not with images and details, but with light that takes all the participants of the event to the edge of the canvas.
It is noteworthy that the eldest son in the right corner becomes the balance for such a compositional technique, and the whole picture is subject to the golden ratio. Artists used this law for the best depiction of all proportions. But Rembrandt turned out to be special in this regard - he built the canvas based on figures that convey the depth of space and open a response scheme, that is, a reaction to an event.
The protagonist of the biblical parable is the prodigal son, whom the artist portrayed as a skinhead. In those days, only convicts were bald, so the young man fell to the lowest level of social strata. The collar of his suit is a nod to the luxury the young man once knew. The shoes are worn almost to the holes, and one fell off when he knelt - a rather touching and poignant moment.
The old man who hugs his son is painted in red robes worn by rich people and appears to be blind. Moreover, the biblical legend does not speak about this, and researchers believe that the whole picture is an image of the artist himself in different images that symbolize spiritual rebirth.
Rembrandt
The image of the youngest son is the image of the artist himself, who decided to repent of his misdeeds, and the earthly father and God, who will listen and, perhaps, forgive, this is the old man in red. The eldest son, reproachfully looking at his brother, is conscience, and the mother becomes a symbol of love.
There are 4 more figures in the picture that are hidden in the shadows. Their silhouettes are hidden in a dark space, and the researchers call the images brothers and sisters. The artist would have depicted them as relatives, if not for one detail: the parable tells of the jealousy of the older brother for the younger, but Rembrandt excludes it, using the psychological technique of family harmony. The figures mean faith, hope, love, repentance and truth.
It is also interesting that the master of the brush himself is not considered a pious person. He thought and enjoyed earthly life, possessing the thinking of the most ordinary person with all his fears and experiences. Most likely for this reason, The Return of the Prodigal Son is an illustration of the human path to self-knowledge, self-purification and spiritual growth.
In addition, the center of the picture is considered a reflection of the artist's inner world, his worldview. He is an aloof observer who wants to capture the essence of what is happening and involve the viewer in the world of human destinies and experiences.
The picture is a feeling of boundless joy of the family and fatherly protection. Perhaps, 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.
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.
... Rembrandt died at 63. He was an old, poor, angry and sick old man. The notary quickly described his belongings: a pair of sweatshirts, a few handkerchiefs, a dozen berets, art supplies, and a Bible.
The man sighed and remembered that the artist was born in poverty. This peasant knew everything, and his life resembled the elements, shaking the soul along the waves of triumph and greatness, glory and wealth, true love and incredible debts, persecution, contempt, bankruptcy and poverty.
He survived the death of two women whom he loved, his students left him and society ridiculed him, but Rembrandt worked the same as in the heyday of his talent and fame. The artist still hatched the plot of the future canvas, picked up colors and chiaroscuro.
One of the greatest masters of the brush died all alone, 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 of the 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.
