The Prodigal Son Receives his Patrimony, Luke XV
The Prodigal Son in Misery, [Plate] 4
Carington Bowles (1724-93), No. 69, St. Pauls Church Yard, London: 1775
Mezzotints
10 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches (Patrimony)
10 x 13.5 inches (Misery)
Sold, please inquire as to the availability of similar items.
Pair of Prodigal Son Prints
Mezzotints Published by Carington Bowles, 1775
Mezzotints Published by Carington Bowles, 1775
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The Prodigal Son in Misery, [Plate] 4 |
The Prodigal Son Receives his Patrimony, Luke XV |
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Above and left: Details of both prints. |
The story of the Prodigal Son comes from the Gospel of Luke, and is one of Jesus' most famous parables, teaching a lesson about God's forgiving nature, and the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions. In this 18th Century print, it has been visually updated to depict contemporary characters enacting the tale. The Prodigal Son is the younger of two brothers in a wealthy land-owning family, charming, self-indulgent and pleasure-seeking, in contrast to his serious-minded and hardworking brother. He asks his father for his inheritance so that he might leave and see the world.
Two prints from the series are available for purchase as a pair. In one print, the father reluctantly hands the fashionably-dressed son his patrimony while his decidedly unostentatious older brother looks on and a servant carrying a trunk in preparation for the journey waits in the next room. The other depicts a later point in the story, where after running through his inheritance living the high life, he is forced to look for work to survive. A wealthy farmer offers him a job tending the pigs. After weeks of drought, food becomes scarce and expensive, and the young man is reduced to scavenging food from the pigs' trough.
The rest of the story can be found in the Christian Bible.
Carrington Bowles was a prominent and prolific London publisher of maps and prints. He began in the printselling trade working for his father, and ran his own business from 1754-93.