The painting above is an artwork by renowned artist Rembrandt Van Rijn of the Baroque art group. The painting captures an emotional bitter-sweet reunion characterized by drama and grandeur. The two individuals in the picture display the most emotions considering their posture. The son, who is on his knees, head bowed and engulfed in his father’s linen, is remorseful of his mistake. On the other hand, his father embraces his long-gone son with both arms indicating unending love despite the chaos. Everyone is displaying emotions, including regret, sadness and fury.
The painting is a stand-alone portrait that applies various artistic styles such as accent lighting, realism, and dramatic contrast. These techniques are used in the picture to enhance the interpretation and direct the focus of the aesthete. The artist wants his audience to see and feel this moment of reunion between a father and his lost son. The prodigal son and his father are the main focus of the painting and are illuminated by a bright light to distinguish them as the protagonists in the artwork. The faces of the two men seem to shine brighter than others showing a connection between the two men.
Deep orange hues are used to deepen the focus on the lead characters, father and son. I discovered that the man standing opposite the prodigal son is related to the two characters through accent lighting and dramatic contrast. A close look at his face shows a devastated man disapproving of his father’s leniency. At first glance, one can notice the accurate, unembellished depiction of a typical family reunion because of the raw emotions depicted, the embrace and happy-sad faces which is excellent realism. These characteristics have effectively driven my focus and interpretation of this painting, indicating unmatched artistry.