1510
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Return of the Prodigal Son is a 1510 by Lucas van Leyden, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a crowded scene of a father embracing his kneeling son while a group of onlookers watches. This painting shows the biblical story of the Prodigal Son, but Lucas van Leyden sets it in a busy Dutch village. The buildings, clothes, and even the expressions feel real, like a moment caught in time. He was one of the first artists to make prints look this detailed and lifelike. To see how this kind of storytelling spread, look up *chiaroscuro*.
A leading 16th-century Dutch printmaker and painter, Lucas van Leyden is credited with bringing a high degree of naturalism to the craft of printmaking. Although the landscape never became the primary subject, in prints such as Return of the Prodigal Son Lucas created a plausible yet imaginary setting.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Lucas van Leyden (1494 – 8 August 1533), was a Dutch painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut. Lucas van Leyden was among the first Dutch exponents of genre painting and was a very accomplished engraver.
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