The artwork, titled “Prodigal Son,” was created by artist Thomas Hart Benton in 1939 using the medium of lithography. This piece is associated with the Regionalism art movement and belongs to the genres of religious painting and genre painting.
In “Prodigal Son,” a lone figure stands in the foreground, gazing pensively towards a dilapidated, broken-down house that appears on the verge of collapsing. The scene is portrayed in a monochromatic palette, emphasizing the desolation and abandonment. The surroundings include a skeletal remains of an animal, a toppled shabby truck, and scattered remnants of what once might have been a homestead. The forlorn posture of the individual and the dilapidated backdrop evoke themes of loss and contemplation, central to the narrative of the “Prodigal Son” parable. Benton’s detailed and emotive depiction captures the essence of the individual’s journey and the poignant moment of realization and repentance.
