The Prodigal Son

Currently not on view

The Prodigal Son

c. 1496

Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)

In the well-known parable of the prodigal son, as told by Christ, one of two brothers left home with his inheritance and squandered it in riotous living. Eventually reduced to tending swine, the son repented and decided to return home, where he was welcomed by his father with open arms. Dürer depicts the moment of decision in a decrepit courtyard where the remorseful son kneels to pray amid the bristled hogs and their half-eaten turnips. Italian artists and artisans were enchanted by the unfamiliar German style of the farmhouses: this print was copied many times in Italy in following decades.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

The Prodigal Son

Date:

c. 1496

Artist:

Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471–1528)

Medium:

Engraving

Dimensions:

Plate: 9 5/8 x 7 1/2inches (24.5 x 19cm) Sheet: 9 13/16 x 7 9/16 inches (24.9 x 19.2 cm)

Classification:

Prints

Credit Line:

The Muriel and Philip Berman Gift, acquired from the John S. Phillips bequest of 1876 to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, with funds contributed by Muriel and Philip Berman, gifts (by exchange) of Lisa Norris Elkins, Bryant W. Langston, Samuel S. White 3rd and Vera White, with additional funds contributed by John Howard McFadden, Jr., Thomas Skelton Harrison, and the Philip H. and A.S.W. Rosenbach Foundation, 1985

Accession Number:

1985-52-38228

Geography:

Made in Germany, Europe

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Currently not on view