The Prodigal Son in the tavern gallery of old masters. The story of one masterpiece: “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt

From time immemorial, artists have painted paintings on spiritual themes. Their goal, according to the author, is to awaken goodness and faith in God in people. IN different eras There have always been artists who manifested God's will through art, inspiring people to follow the righteous path, not sin and strive for spiritual development. In this series of articles, several examples of such artwork will be presented.

And so - the prodigal son. In the Gospel of Luke, the parable of Jesus Christ about the prodigal son is given. It goes something like this: A father had two sons. The younger asked his father to give him the part of the estate due to him, and the father divided his estate between his sons. The younger went to a distant place and squandered all his property, leading a depraved lifestyle.

Soon there was famine in that country. This son hired himself out to a merchant, who sent him to his fields to graze pigs. The son ate the food that was fed to the pigs and was glad that at least he did not die of hunger. Soon his mind cleared and he realized that he had sinned and decided to return to his father and ask for forgiveness so that his father would accept him back.

Seeing his son from afar, the father threw himself on his neck and kissed him. The son asked his father for forgiveness and said that he was no longer worthy to be called his son. His father forgave him and ordered the servants to bring his son best clothes and kill the calf for him.

The eldest son was in the field at that time, and when he returned and saw the rejoicing and celebration in honor of the return of his brother, he was confused and upset, and asked his father: “Well, I have served you for so many years and have never violated your orders, but you he never gave me even a kid so that I could have fun with my friends; and when this son of yours, who had wasted his wealth with harlots, came, you killed the fatted calf for him.” The father answered him: “My son! you are always with me, that's all mine is yours, and in this you had to rejoice and be glad, that this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.”

The theme of the “prodigal son” is also depicted in cinema, literature and ballet.

« Prodigal son in a tavern", 1635, Rembrandt. Photo: wikimedia.org The time when the painting was created dates back to the happiest period of Rembrandt’s life, when he achieved popularity as an artist, the number of orders for his paintings increased, and students appeared. He was happy and family life, and decided to create a portrait of his family. This is the only painting by Rembrandt in which he depicted himself with Saskia (there is also an etching “Self-Portrait with Saskia”, dating back to 1636). And the artist returned to the theme of the Prodigal Son a year later in the etching “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” and 31 years later - in the final painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”

The reader, believer or not, can guess that the meaning of this parable is deep, and relates not only to past events, but perhaps also to the present, and not to anyone there, but to himself. IN fast pace vain modern life How many of us think about the meaning of life, about God? Science is developing, and it is no longer clear who serves whom, science to man, or man to science? In pursuit of money and comfort, which of us thinks about the salvation of the soul, about the afterlife? What does this parable mean to us? Do we have a Father, or are we like prodigal children, enjoying life, not thinking that famine may come in an instant? Life is so fragile human body so fragile and afraid of everything - both cold and hunger. To me this parable means that God the Father loves all his children. And he grieves for the prodigal sons more than those devoted to him, because they need him more. Perhaps he is waiting for us to “play enough” with earthly toys, to experience both glory and shame, pain and joy, happiness and grief, prosperity and decline, to be satisfied with all this and come to him. A faithful son does not leave his Father, he believes. and his father is always next to him. And the prodigal son thinks he has everything. and he does not need any guardianship or support, and as long as he enjoys material goods, he does not need the Father, he does not call on him. And when things get bad, he begins to pray to the Father and seek his help.

Wise man turning around human history, understands that our life alternates with ups and downs. How many wars have people survived, how many diseases, how many catastrophes and cataclysms have happened to humanity. And yet, people still do not believe, are still concerned only with vain matters, still fight with each other for pathetic gain. Even those who go to temples, mosques and synagogues, after leaving the gates, become the same people, still hate, envy and cherish bad thoughts. Perhaps this eternal theme The “prodigal son” serves as a guide for us too. Let us do bad things in the past, let us sin intentionally or consciously. If we turn to God, not so that he will help us in need, heal our relatives, transfer money to a bank account or punish our enemies, but in order to come to Him, to his spiritual abode, then we will realize the meaning of life and find peace of mind.

Prodigal sons are not only those who live extravagantly, waste money and even kill and commit criminal acts for personal gain. And so do all of us, when our thoughts revolve only around personal interests, around family, gardens, travel, career, foreign cars, the pursuit of career advancement, etc. We stop wandering when, no matter what we do, no matter where we are, we realize that we need to be everywhere a good man, think about others first, do not intentionally harm living beings, and purify your soul so that you can return to the Father like the prodigal son.

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Rembrandt "Return of the Prodigal Son" (detail)

The theme of the prodigal son is all-time, eternal. It is perhaps one of the most popular topics in world culture and one of the most ancient.

It is known that the plot of a son who left home and lived in a foreign land, and then returned to his father’s house, begins in ancient Babylonian texts and in Greek papyri. But it is better known as a gospel story: we read the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke (Luke: 15:11-32). In the Gospel, the parable that Jesus Christ tells has a mainly metaphorical meaning - a drama of sin, repentance and forgiveness, but there is also a direct everyday plot in this story, an ordinary family drama, which is repeated from century to century, from country to country, it touches today in the same way as it touched the hearts of the first listeners, because, in essence, there is nothing new under the sun.

Writers, poets, and artists have addressed this topic many times - it is inexhaustible.

But here we are only talking about painting, so let us remember that before Rembrandt this subject attracted Durer, Bosch, Rubens, Luke of Leiden, and... However, it’s time to turn to Rembrandt’s painting.

The plot of the picture

Rembrandt "The Return of the Prodigal Son" (circa 1666-1699). Canvas, oil. 260x203 cm. Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Still, you first need to get acquainted with the parable (for those, of course, who are not yet familiar with it). Because without this it is difficult to even start a conversation about the plot of the picture itself. So, a parable.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

A certain man had two sons; and the youngest of them said to his father: Father! give me the next part of the estate. And the father divided the estate for them. After a few days younger son Having collected everything, he went to the far side and there he squandered his property, living dissolutely. When he had lived through everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need; and he went and accosted one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent him to his fields to graze pigs; and he was glad to fill his belly with the horns that the pigs ate, but no one gave it to him. When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, but I am dying of hunger; I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired servants.
He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants: Bring the best robe and dress him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fatted calf, and kill it; Let's eat and have fun! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they started having fun.
His eldest son was in the field; and returning, when he approached the house, he heard singing and rejoicing; and calling one of the servants, he asked: what is this? He said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he received him healthy.” He became angry and did not want to enter. His father came out and called him. But he answered his father: Behold, I have served you for so many years and have never violated your orders, but you never gave me even a kid so that I could have fun with my friends; and when this son of yours, who had wasted his wealth with harlots, came, you killed the fatted calf for him. He said to him: My son! You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours, and it was necessary to rejoice and be glad that this brother of yours was dead and came to life, was lost and was found.

The painting depicts the final episode of the parable: the prodigal son returned home. He had not yet entered the house, but fell to his knees in front of his father, who came out to meet him. The father tenderly hugged his son by the shoulders. We do not see the face of the prodigal son, but his whole appearance suggests that this man suffered quite a lot during his adventures: shabby clothes, trampled shoes, shaved head... He does not notice that one shoe has fallen - he is completely overwhelmed by a feeling of repentance and joy meetings with father. The artist highlights precisely these two figures, the most important ones in the plot, with light; everything else is not seen very clearly, even the witnesses to the scene of forgiveness.

Rembrandt “The Return of the Prodigal Son” (detail of the painting)

Although the figure on the right is painted almost as brightly as the main characters. Apparently, this is why some researchers believe that this is the eldest son. You can agree or disagree with this. Firstly, on his face we see sympathy for everything that is happening, but in the parable the eldest son expresses completely different feelings. Secondly, according to the parable, the eldest son finds out about the return of the younger one when he came from the field where he was working and, according to this, should have been in work clothes - in the picture he is depicted in a traveling cloak.

There are other versions: for example, that Rembrandt depicted himself in this image. But let’s not guess, because the picture depicts, in addition to the son and father, four more mysterious characters. The artist did not explain who they are.

The history of the painting

Rembrandt painted "The Return of the Prodigal Son" in last years own life. But this is not his only work on this subject. The painting dates back to 1666-1669, although some consider these dates controversial, but back in 1635 he created the canvas “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern” (“Self-Portrait with Saskia on his Knees”). This is a famous self-portrait of the artist with his wife Saskia, in which he depicted himself and her as the heroes of the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son. This painting is in Dresden gallery.

Rembrandt "The Prodigal Son in the Tavern" (1635). Oil on canvas, 161x131. Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden

Let us remember this episode from the Gospel of Luke: “After a few days, the younger son, having gathered everything, went to a far side and there squandered his substance, living dissolutely.”

Rembrandt assigned himself the role of the prodigal son in the painting. He is elegantly dressed in a doublet with a sword, on his head is a hat with a feather, right hand he raises his crystal glass of wine high. On his lap sits Saskia in the role of a harlot, also in a rich outfit. A dish with a peacock on the table is a symbol of vanity.

Rembrandt "Return of the Prodigal Son". Etching on paper, 12.9x13.5 cm. State Museum, Amsterdam

Then the artist returns to this topic a year later, creating the etching “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” and only 31 years later will he finally begin his own big picture on religious theme- “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”

How did this picture 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 Cadrousse. And he, in turn, inherited the painting from his wife, whose grandfather, Charles Colbert, carried out diplomatic assignments for Louis XIV in Holland and most likely acquired it there.

We began our article with the fact that the theme of the prodigal son is all-time and eternal. Let's end with this. And let us illustrate with the final frame of A. Tarkovsky’s film “Solaris” - the return of the prodigal Chris Kelvin to his father.

Still from the film "Solaris"

Rembrandt Return of the Prodigal Son, circa 1666-69.

In prints and paintings

First there were frescoes and stained glass windows. Individual scenes from the famous Gospel parable are depicted on the walls of French cathedrals and, unlike some later works of art visual arts, they talk about all the stages of the prodigal son’s ordeal: receiving an inheritance, feasting and revelry, working as a swineherd, returning to his father and, of course, forgiveness.

In 1541, a Dutch artist Cornelis Antonissen creates a woodcut depicting a son sitting on his father's lap surrounded by figures, each labeled: Faith, Hope, Love, Repentance and Truth. Some art historians are inclined to consider this particular engraving as the prototype of Rembrandt’s famous painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” painted by the artist in the 60s of the 17th century. In the picture Rembrandt depicts the final episode of the parable, which, in fact, was most often used by artists. Another one famous work Rembrandt - “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern”, where the artist depicted himself in the role of the prodigal son, as well as his wife Saskia— was written thirty years before the appearance of the painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son.”

Rembrandt, "The Prodigal Son in the Tavern." Around 1635.

Some artists dedicated several works to the parable at once. So, in National Gallery USA painting exhibited Bartolomeo Esteban Murillo“The Return of the Prodigal Son”, and in the National Gallery of Ireland his other work is “The Prodigal Son Receiving an Inheritance”. The first and last of a series consisting of 5 masterpieces of painting that the artist painted based on the plot of the Gospel parable.

He described the scene of returning home in his painting “The Prodigal Son” and Hieronymus Bosch , but unlike the works of other painters, his work lacks joy, repentance and forgiveness. More like wariness. The son returns home in poverty, exhausted by adversity, ashamed and does not know how his parents will greet him and what awaits him.

One of the most recent appeals to this gospel story belongs to the hand Marc Chagall. In his free interpretation, executed in the style of primitivism, father and son are on the street of Vitebsk, surrounded by a crowd of people dressed in colorful national clothes. Chagall painted the painting after a trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Hieronymus Bosch "The Prodigal Son" ("The Traveler"), 1510.

In literature

Two literary works in the genre of narrative prose were written in the second half of the 17th century - “The Tale of Misfortune” and “The Tale of Savva Gudyn”. Both works refer to the gospel story of the prodigal son. In "Grief-Misfortune" main character named Molodets repeats the path of the prodigal son, ending up in the “tsar’s tavern”; in “The Tale of Savva Gudyn” this plot is combined with a fairy tale, thereby forming an ornate narrative, the examples of which were unheard of in those days.

Used a parable to construct the plot of his work Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Comparison of his reinterpretation of the Gospel plot and the parable itself is taught in school; this is one of the main topics when “analyzing” the story “The Station Agent”. More precisely, to contrast, because in “ Stationmaster“This plot is shown unexpectedly - here everything is the other way around. Instead of the impoverished son-heir, the noblewoman, satisfied with life, comes to the funeral of her impoverished father. Well, the painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” hanging on the wall at the beginning of the story, plays the role of the very gun that “fires” at the end of the story.

Pushkin touches on this topic indirectly in his other works - the story “ Captain's daughter"and the unfinished "Notes of a Young Man".

Red Mountain in the Orenburg region is a place described in the story “The Captain's Daughter”. Photo: www.russianlook.com

Poem Nikolai Gumilyov“The Prodigal Son” is divided into four parts, each of which characterizes one of the hero’s states.

“Father, let me go... tomorrow... today!..” - the desire to leave my father’s house, “Like the edge of the sky is pink behind the portico! How joyful the galleys are in the fiery Tiber!” - ecstasy of freedom, “I’ll go and tell him: “Father, I am a sinner before the Lord and before you” - hardships, adversity and the final decision to return home and, finally, “I found out... guessed... coming to meet me... And it’s a holiday, and this bride... isn’t it for me?!” It is interesting that Gumilyov’s poem ends without words of forgiveness, and the end is not entirely clear, although everything suggests a happy ending.

In just two quatrains of the poem Ivan Bunin“And flowers, and bumblebees, and grass, and ears of corn” reveals, if not the plot, then the moral of the gospel parable. The Prodigal Son here appears before the Lord, who asks him: “Were you happy in your earthly life?” But there is no answer or ending here either: the son chokes on sweet tears, instead of an answer there is silence.

In the theatre

Transfer biblical story on theater stage also began in the Middle Ages, one of the first Russian plays written on a gospel plot belongs to Simeon of Polotsk. In the 17th century, he wrote “The Comedy of the Parable of the Prodigal Son,” which almost completely repeats the plot, and a few years later, “The Comedy of Nebuchadnezzar the King,” a dramatic reworking of the same plot.

A striking example of using the plot of a gospel parable is the ballet “Prodigal Son” Prokofiev. The greatest cultural figures were involved in the work on the ballet: the idea came Sergei Diaghilev, the music was written by Sergei Prokofiev, who was living in the West at that time, and was involved in staging the play George Balanchine, performed the main role Sergey Lifar(on the picture). “The Prodigal Son” is a masterpiece, the premiere of which was a resounding success, and later the ballet became one of the world’s ballet classics.

In 2012 in Moscow drama theater them. Ruben Simonov hosted the premiere of the production “The Prodigal Son (François Villon)”. The plot describes the life story of a medieval poet Francois Villon, who, having left his father's home at a young age, traveled around the country, carousing, writing poetry and getting into situations that later led to his death.

To the cinema

Film "Solaris" Andrei Tarkovsky is ambiguous and multi-layered and, despite the generally simple plot, it is extremely difficult to understand the intricacies of the author’s philosophical ideas. And further the more difficult it is who read the novel of the same name before watching Stanislav Lem. Therefore, it seems impossible to “pick out” and notice the biblical story here the first time. However, it exists, moreover, the entire film seems to be built on its basis - the viewer is convinced of this at the very end, when in the last frame the characters create a composition similar to the above-mentioned work by Rembrandt. And then everything falls into place: space travel, “guests”, return to Earth - all this creates a complete picture.

Donatas Banionis in the film "Solaris". 1972

The theme of the Gospel story about the prodigal son has been used at all times, and each time inspired the creation of masterpieces and rethinking of actions, words and thoughts. It is still relevant now - in pursuit of a career, money, fame, it is very easy to forget about loved ones. These same works, be they paintings, plays or literary works, remind you of the importance of relationships, devotion and respect for others and loved ones.

Rembrandt - The Prodigal Son in the Tavern.
Year of creation: 1635
Canvas, oil.
Original size: 161 × 131 cm
Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden

“The Prodigal Son in the Tavern” (“Self-Portrait with Saskia on His Knees”) is a famous self-portrait of Rembrandt with his wife Saskia, in which they are represented as the heroes of the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son. Exhibited at the Dresden Gallery (Germany). The time when the painting was created dates back to the happiest period of Rembrandt’s life, when he achieved popularity as an artist, the number of orders for his paintings increased, and students appeared. He was happy in his family life and decided to create a portrait of his family. This is the only painting by Rembrandt in which he depicted himself with Saskia (there is also an etching “Self-Portrait with Saskia”, dating back to 1636). There is a version that initially there were other characters in the painting, but then the artist decided to leave only himself and Saskia, and the canvas on the left side was cut off by Rembrandt himself.

The artist will return to the theme of the prodigal son a year later in the etching “The Return of the Prodigal Son”, and 31 years later - in the final painting “The Return of the Prodigal Son”. The picture illustrates the story from the Gospel of Luke 15:13: “And after a few days the younger son, having gathered everything, went into a far country and there squandered his substance, living dissolutely.” In the painting, Rembrandt plays the role of the prodigal son, squandering “his property with harlots,” elegantly dressed in a camisole with a sword, a hat with a feather, and raising high a crystal glass of wine. On his lap sits Saskia, also in rich clothes, in the role of a harlot. On the table you can see a dish with a peacock, a symbol of vanity. Despite the fun depicted in the painting, Rembrandt still recalled with one detail what kind of continuation it has biblical story. A slate board is visible on the wall - a symbol of the fact that sooner or later you will have to pay for everything.

Self-Portrait with Saskia or The Prodigal Son in the Tavern is a famous self-portrait painting by Rembrandt, where he depicted himself and his wife Saskia as characters in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The painting was created in 1635, during the happiest period of the artist’s life. At this time, Rembrandt became a famous and popular painter, he had students, and orders were distributed for years to come. And everything was fine in the artist’s family life. So he decided to create family portrait. This is the only picture Dutch artist, in which he is depicted together with Saskia (although the etching “Self-Portrait with Saskia,” drawn a year later), is also known. Since the canvas was cut by Rembrandt, there is a version that there were other characters in the cut-off part of the painting, but then the painter decided to leave only himself and his wife. The parable of the prodigal son was in demand by Rembrandt, who 31 years later would write his famous painting"Return of the Prodigal Son" The picture describes famous parable from the Gospel of Luke. The canvas depicts Rembrandt in the role of the prodigal son who squanders his inheritance. He is dressed in an elegant doublet with a sword, on his head is a rich hat with a feather, and with his right hand he raises a crystal glass of wine. Saskia sits on his lap, dressed in the rich clothes of a libertine. On the table there is a dish with a peacock, which symbolizes vanity. Despite the apparent lightness and cheerfulness of the picture, the master reminds us with one detail of how it will end biblical parable. On the wall you can see a slate board, which at that time was used to record debts. With this detail, Rembrandt reminds us that at some point we have to pay for everything. Now the painting “The Prodigal Son in the Tavern” is exhibited at the Dresden Gallery.