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Source Description
This tapestry and its companion in the Speed Museum, Louisville, would have decorated the great hall, most likely that of a town hall, and provided winter insulation. Christ's parable of the Prodigal Son conveys divine forgiveness and redemption. In the Louisville tapestry, the rich young man squanders his father's money. Here, the prodigal son, after being reduced to eating pig slops, kneels before female personifications of the Virtues and then before their real life male counterparts, Good Citizens. Attended by this throng of supporters, the young man is welcomed home by his father. On the right side, the sins of Adam and Eve as well as Cain and Abel provide Old Testament parallels to this new Testament parable. At the far right, Christ returns with the promise of redemption to penitent Old Testament figures who emerge from Hell. Many of the figures on the lower register are individualized portraits, perhaps of those who contributed to the cost of the tapestry.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
22803
label
The Prodigal Son
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
10
Source metadata
id
22803
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
The Prodigal Son
description
This tapestry and its companion in the Speed Museum, Louisville, would have decorated the great hall, most likely that of a town hall, and provided winter insulation. Christ's parable of the Prodigal Son conveys divine forgiveness and redemption. In the Louisville tapestry, the rich young man squanders his father's money. Here, the prodigal son, after being reduced to eating pig slops, kneels before female personifications of the Virtues and then before their real life male counterparts, Good Citizens. Attended by this throng of supporters, the young man is welcomed home by his father. On the right side, the sins of Adam and Eve as well as Cain and Abel provide Old Testament parallels to this new Testament parable. At the far right, Christ returns with the promise of redemption to penitent Old Testament figures who emerge from Hell. Many of the figures on the lower register are individualized portraits, perhaps of those who contributed to the cost of the tapestry.
provenance
Coll: Leo Nardu, Suresnes, Belgium; Lowengard, Paris; French & Co., NY (no. 189996). Acquired from From and Co., NY, May 8, 1953.
date
ca. 1500 (Renaissance)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
tapestries
imageCount
10
pageCount
10
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
431.8
height
848.4
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 170 x 334 in. (431.8 x 848.4 cm)
Source extras
cul
Medieval European
med
wool and silk
creator_ids
15361
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
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ba4f34e58718923c
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no
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no
seq
2
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photo
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8d43f66f3a6521ab
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type
photo
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no
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no
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type
photo
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b0553f99ad7ca801
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no
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type
photo
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4425ba76875fe292
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no
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type
photo
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f142e03fcc6d71a1
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no
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type
photo
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61a1fd94ed3f138d
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no
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no
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photo
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no
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type
photo
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no
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no
seq
10
type
photo
mediaId
691a5a9d12c325ad
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no