Roundel with the Prodigal Son among the Swine

Art Historical Context

This delicate roundel captures a poignant moment from the biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son, showing the wayward youth humbled among the swine after squandering his inheritance. Created around 1530–35 in Germany, the circular panel would have originally been set into a window, offering viewers a moral lesson on repentance and redemption. The unknown artist rendered the scene with careful attention to the figures’ expressions and the animals’ forms, inviting quiet reflection on human frailty. Crafted from colorless glass using silver stain and vitreous paint, this medium allowed for fine linear details and subtle tonal variations without the need for heavy leading. Silver stain, applied as a metallic compound and fired into the glass, produces the warm yellows and browns that bring depth to the composition. Such roundels were popular in the early sixteenth century for both domestic and ecclesiastical settings, blending artistic skill with storytelling. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters collection since 1932, the work reflects the rich tradition of German stained glass during the Renaissance. Its modest size—just nine and a half inches across—highlights the intimate scale at which these moral narratives were often experienced.