The Return of the Prodigal Son

A closer look

The son kneels in rags before his father, his head shaved, one shoe lost, his face pressed against his father’s chest. The old man, almost blind, bends over him and lays both hands on his back in a gesture of complete forgiveness; the two hands are painted differently, one strong and one gentle. To the right, the elder brother stands upright and stiff, watching the scene in silence. Warm reds and golds glow out of the darkness, concentrating all the light on the embrace.