De verloren zoon bij de hoeren

About this artwork

height 332 mm x width 396 mm

Art Historical Context

**De verloren zoon bij de hoeren** (The Prodigal Son the Harlots), created by Dutch artist Wallerant Vaillant between 1658 and1677, draws from the biblical Parable of the Prodig Son in Luke 15. This poignant scene captures the wayward youth squandering his inheritance in riotous living, surrounded by revelers—a stark visual sermon on folly, repentance, and redemption popular in 17th-century Northern Europe. Vaillant, a Baroque-era master from Lille active in the Dutch Republic, used such moralistic themes to engage viewers in an age of religious fervor and artistic innovation. Rendered on pap...

About the Artist

Wallerant Vaillant · 1623–1677

Wallerant Vaillant (1623-1677) was a French-born Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker who pioneered the mezzotint technique in printmaking. Born in Lille on May 30, 1623, he died in Amsterdam on August 28, 1677, leaving behind a significant legacy as both a portraitist and innovator in graphic arts. Vaillant holds a distinguished place in art history as one of the first professional artists to...