The Return of the Prodigal Son is a 1636 ink by Rembrandt, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a father kneeling to hug a son who’s just returned. Behind them, another son watches from the doorway, arms crossed. The room is dark, with rough lines and shadows everywhere—like the clothes, the walls, even the faces. The artist used scratches and layers to build up the texture, making the scene feel urgent and real. This was a risky way to work back then. Next, look up etching to see how artists like Rembrandt made prints by scratching metal plates.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
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