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Late masterpiece showing the ragged prodigal son kneeling before his father, who embraces him with tender, aged hands, while the elder brother watches from the shadows.
Significance
Painted near the end of Rembrandt's life, it represents his deepest meditation on forgiveness, mercy, and the human condition. Henri Nouwen wrote an entire book on its spiritual meaning.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
262 cm × 205 cm
Location
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia