The Wayfarer Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)

Description of Hieronymus Bosch’s The Prodigal Son

Painter Hieronymus Bosch always left riddles and places for the viewer to ponder in the subjects of his paintings. With his brush, he not only masterfully painted beautiful images, but he also put deep allegories into them that not every art lover could understand.

The scene of the return of the prodigal son he also saw and delivered to the viewer in his complex and enigmatic manner of performance.

The main character of this painting is the prodigal son. He has decided to end his miserable misery and return to a decent and pure life. The man looks very thin and slouchy. This is a sign that the meager pennies he sometimes has are not always enough to buy food.

The wanderer’s clothes are in a very poor condition. They are shabby, stretched and torn in places. But it is unlikely that he has a change of underwear.

Before departing on his long journey to his birth father, the hero casts a parting glance at his place of abode. From now on, he will not cross the threshold of this filthy tavern. His departure attracts the attention of a woman. She looks out the window of the decaying building and may even be jealous of the hero.

He had the strength to escape from this unfortunate place. The rest of the inhabitants of the squalid asylum do not care about what is going on. They do not think about morality and do not seek to change their lives.

You can tell from the look on the traveler’s face that he is tired of dragging out his miserable existence and he despises the brothel, with all the souls living in it. But the hint of a smile and raised eyebrows suggests that the hardships of fate have not completely extinguished his spirit and desire for better things. He now understood much.

Hieronymus Bosch was a deeply religious man. He wanted to put into the meaning of his painting not only the description of the famous parable. The path from evil to good and from sin to God is always thorny. And only the one who has passed it to the end will receive the long-awaited happiness.