1639
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Prodigal Son's Father Orders the Best Robe and the Slaughter of the Fatted Calf is a 1639 ink by Abraham Bosse, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows five figures in a richly decorated room. A man in the center holds a child while another man hands him a robe. To the right, a servant lifts a heavy cloth, maybe from a table. The room has tall windows with curtains, a fireplace, and a small landscape scene outside. Notice how the artist uses fine lines to create shadows and texture—this is called cross-hatching. It makes the clothing and faces look detailed even though it’s just ink on paper. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with lines.
Abraham Bosse (c. 1604 – 14 February 1676) was a French artist, mainly as a printmaker in etching, but also in watercolour.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
