1535
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
The Prodigal Son: Departure of the Prodigal Son is a 1535 by Sebald Beham, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a group of men in old-fashioned clothes. One man in the center, with a long beard, is handing a small bag to another man who’s kneeling. Behind them, a castle and trees fill the background, while two other men stand nearby—one holding a staff, the other looking down. On the right, a servant tends to a fallen animal. The kneeling man looks ready to leave, maybe with the bag as his only belongings. The words at the top are in Latin, hinting at a story about family and choices. If this scene interests you, look up *chiaroscuro* next to see how light and shadow create drama in art.
Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings.
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