The Prodigal Son Reclaimed
1815
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1815
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Prodigal Son Reclaimed is a 1815 ink by Mary Ann Willson, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This painting shows a group of five people outdoors, with a man kneeling in front of a seated older figure. The older person wears a red coat and holds the kneeling man’s hands. Behind them, three others stand—two men in hats and one woman in a green dress. In the background, a swing set and a dog on a leash add to the scene. The colors are bright but simple, with flat shapes and bold outlines. The text at the bottom quotes a Bible story about a son who returns home after making mistakes. The painting’s loose, sketchy style fits its time and medium. Look up watercolor, glazing to see how artists build light through layers.
Mary Ann Willson (active 1810 to 1825) was an American folk artist whose work remained undiscovered for over a century, until it appeared in an exhibition of American Primitive paintings in 1944.
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