The Prodigal Son in a House of Ill-Repute
1601 to 1650
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1982.40.3
Art Historical Context
Abraham Bosse's *The Prodigal Son in a of Ill-Repute*, an engraving from the early to mid-17th century captures a pivotal moment from the Biblical parable of the Prodigal (Luke 15:11-32). Here, the wayward son fritters away his inheritance amid revelry in a brothel-like setting, surrounded by gamblers, musicians, and courtesans. Created during France's Baroque era under Louis XIII, Bosse—a master Parisian engraver—included this work among his moralistic genre scenes, blending religious narrative with vivid depictions of everyday vice to caution viewers against dissipation. As a pioneering fig...
About the Artist
Abraham Bosse · 1602–1676
Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...