1540
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Return of the Prodigal Son is a 1540 ink by Sebald Beham, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white scene shows a group of five people gathered around a fallen man. One person kneels beside him, another stands holding a cloth, while a woman in the background tends to a child. The setting looks like a mix of a house and a garden, with a tree, a stone wall, and a distant town in the background. The text at the top reads in Latin: *"My son was dead and has come to life again."* This suggests the scene is about a son returning home after being away. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like Beham created detailed images using metal plates.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
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