Slow Art Sunday - Rembrandt

On this Father’s Day, Slow Art Sunday brings you Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son”.  The painting is rich and deep in Rembrandt style and beautifully illustrates a father with open arms welcoming home a repentant son. This allegory for God’s love towards us was a theme in other works of his as well.

Rembrandt van Rijn was born and lived his life in Holland during the 1600’s. This was a period called the Dutch Golden Age when culture and especially Dutch painting was inventive and prolific.

Catherine the Great acquired the painting in 1766 and it still resides at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg today. Author Henri Nouwen spent many hours in front of the original and wrote a book about how it changed his life (through the practice of slow looking!).  The impact of viewing this painting in its full size of 8’ x 6’ would be greater, but we can still take a few minutes to experience the tender touch of a father.  

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