Le Retour du fils prodigue

A man had two sons. The younger son said to their father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” So the father divided what he had between them. A few days later, the younger son gathered everything, set off for a distant country, and there squandered his wealth in a dissolute life… The rest is history: quickly reduced to poverty, the son led a miserable existence until he decided to return to his father. Rembrandt chose to depict the moment of their meeting, described in the Gospel of Luke: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him tenderly.” Why do many consider this painting the most beautiful in the world? Let's delve into the image…