The Prodigal Son Driven Out
1660s
Murillo captures a chaotic, almost slapstick moment from the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son, showing the young man being literally chased out into the street. Dressed in tattered pink finery, he throws his hands up in despair as a fierce woman swings a giant broom at him, while others brandish swords and a small dog barks at his heels. A spectator watches the drama unfold from a window above, adding to the sense of public humiliation. Painted in the 1660s, this dramatic Baroque scene was part of a larger series Murillo created for a charity hospital in Seville, meant to teach moral lessons through vivid, emotional storytelling.
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