The Prodigal Son In Excess

Dateca. 1760

After work by Sebastian Le Clerc II (1676 - 1763)

Engraver Richard Purcell

Publisher Robert Sayer (1725-1794)

OriginEngland, London

MediumMezzotint with line engraving

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1970-82,3

DescriptionLower margin reads: "Le Clare pinx.t/ THE PRODIGAL SON IN EXCESS./ R. Purcel fecit/ London N.o 53 in Fleet Street./ Pr. 1s 6d"
Label TextA story of departure, decline, penitence, and redemption, the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) in which a younger son asks for his father for his inheritance early, squanders the fortune, is reduced to extreme poverty, and is forgiven by his father, has been an important subject for artists since the thirteenth century. The story's narrative was a popular moral subject with both “high and low” audiences, resonating as a warning to the youth and an aspirational example to parents. In the third scene, The Prodigal Son, seated at center, squanders his money on drink, women, and other suggested debaucheries. A servant cleans up game pieces and looks at the scene.

The subject reached the height of its popularity in Europe and the Atlantic world during the 18th century, as family values and structures shifted the position of the father as the totalitarian center of the family to a focus on children. The works of Rousseau and Locke encouraged nurturing and egalitarian familial relationships over strict discipline and harsh treatment. Despite the son’s failures and lack of judgement, the father’s forgiveness represents the ideal welcoming and compassionate family unit.