Prodigal Son 1874

Vasily Polenov painted this study for his painting of the Prodigal Son in oil paint. The parable tells of a son who squanders his inheritance and only returns home after hitting rock bottom. This is not a moment of destitution, however, but a scene of dissipation in what looks like a Middle Eastern tavern. It is interesting that Polenov made several trips to the Middle East as part of the Russian ‘Wanderers’ movement, yet he would turn his experience into a scene of sin. One might ask if he is judging another culture based on his own social values. The ‘Wanderers’ were a group of Russian artists who rejected the strict academic style of the Russian Academy of Arts. They felt that art should be more accessible to the common people. To understand Polenov’s attitude we might want to explore his correspondence and diaries and the writings of other ‘Wanderers.’ By understanding more about the artist’s social and cultural context, we can better understand the meaning of his work.