An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
The Prodigal Sonc. 1640
Artist: David Teniers, the Younger
Flemish, 1610–1694/96
New Testament parable (Luke 15:11-32): A lively scene showing the Prodigal Son at supper with courtesans at an inn, accompanied by servants and musicians. The room, whose light source comes from a high leaded window on the left, is filled with many still-life details and rich symbolism. In the far left corner is a four-postered bed completely enclosed by velvet drapery. On the opposite side of the room through the open doorway, a thief is being chased by an angry woman, while another figure in a second-story window empties a chamber pot onto his head. Just inside the doorway, hanging on the wall, is a wooden board used for recording the guest's food and wine bill. Having placed his red velvet cloak, plumed cavalier's hat, fur piece and sword on a nearby chair, the Son sits at the round dining table and holds out his glass for a serving boy to fill. On the right, a serving woman carrying a covered pewter platter exchanges a word with the woman whose back is toward us, while a small dog wags his tail in anticipation of receiving the table scraps. A fiddler and a flutist stand behind the table, merrily playing their instruments. On another cloth-covered table in the left foreground are a pitcher, two glasses, and several loaves of crusty bread. On the floor below is a copper wine cooler containing several bottles of wine. Nearby, a monkey, dressed in a striped coat and wearing a ball and chain, munches on an apple.
22 1/2 x 30 1/2 in. (57.15 x 77.47 cm) (panel)
Oil on copper
Painting
Netherlands
17th century
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund
In the dim light of a forgotten tavern, a tale as old as time unfolds—a story of folly, redemption, and the eternal tug between desire and regret. The scene before us is heart-wrenching yet poignant, inviting us to peer into the soul of the young man lost in the maze of his own choices.
There he sits, our prodigal son, at a rickety table laden with the remnants of excess: half-empty goblets filled with cheap wine, the shadows of laughter and merriment still dancing in the air. His once-lustrous cloak and sturdy sword lie carelessly cast aside, mere afterthoughts amid the revelry. Around him, two women of the night share his feast, their laughter mingling with the strumming of street musicians—each note a haunting reminder of the life he chose over the embrace of home.
But beneath the surface, a heavy chain drags at his spirit. Nearby, a monkey peels an apple, representing the sweetness of love lost, while its ball and chain serves as an ancient emblem of enslavement to vice. The young man's gaze, filled with both longing and shame, speaks volumes. He is bound not just by chains of metal but by the weight of his own choices, ensnared in a life that promised freedom yet delivered nothing but sorrow.
In this suspended moment, surrounded by the glittering facade of indulgence, the underlying truth shines through: the search for redemption is often paved with the debris of our past. As the music fades and the revelry dwindles, we are left with the young man’s journey—a poignant reminder that sometimes, the path back home is the most difficult of all.
This narrative, framed beautifully as a gift from the Marjorie Engels Memorial Fund and the Paintings Curatorial Council, captures not just an event but an ongoing human struggle—the delicate balance of longing for joy while being tethered to our choices. In the end, we are all prodigal sons, navigating the complexities of our own stories, yearning for a way home.
About the artist
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