The Prodigal Son in the Tavern

Rembrandt painted this in 1642, the same year as The Night Watch. It is a self-portrait, but not a conventional one. He painted himself as the Prodigal Son from the biblical parable, sitting in a tavern with a woman on his lap, spending his money on drink. The painting is roughly 51 by 63 inches. Rembrandt sits at the center, dressed in an elaborate costume with a feathered cap and a sword. He raises a tall flask of beer in his right hand, looking at the viewer with a half-smile. The woman on his lap, identified as his wife Saskia, wears a red dress and looks away from him, her expression unreadable. A dog sits at the lower right, looking up at the couple. The background is dark, with a few objects on the table. Rembrandt married Saskia van Uylenburgh in 1634. She was the cousin of an art dealer who had helped Rembrandt establish himself in Amsterdam. The marriage was happy but short. Saskia died in 1642, the year this painting was made, after giving birth to their son Titus. Whether this painting was made before or after her death is uncertain. The painting has been read as a celebration of their life together and as a meditation on the consequences of excess. The Prodigal Son parable tells of a son who demands his inheritance, leaves home, and wastes it all on reckless living. Rembrandt painted several versions of the story throughout his career, including the great Return of the Prodigal Son in the Hermitage, painted near the end of his life. This 1642 version is the earliest and most autobiographical, with Rembrandt casting himself and Saskia in the lead roles. Oil on canvas, 131 by 161 centimeters. The brushwork is loose and painterly, with the costumes rendered in thick strokes of gold and red. The faces are more carefully modeled, with Rembrandt's expression captured in a few precise marks. The warm palette and lively subject make this painting suitable for a dining room, kitchen, or bar area. The 16x20 framed version in a red oak frame complements the warm tones. The painting has been in the Rijksmuseum collection since 1808. This is a public domain artwork, sourced from the Rijksmuseum via Wikimedia Commons. We print it on archival matte paper at sizes from 8x10 to 24x36 inches, framed or unframed. The image is printed at full resolution with no cropping.