Verloren zoon verkwist zijn erfenis 1629

This 1629 engraving by Dutch artist Christoffel van (II) Sichem, titled "Verloren zoon verkwist zijn erfenis" (The Lost Son Squanders his Inheritance) depicts a scene from the biblical parable of the prodigal son. The image portrays the prodigal son, a young man, surrounded by a group of people at a table and is engaged in activities which are deemed sinful. The artwork is a small engraving, measuring only 103 mm in height and 74 mm in width, and is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The image is a powerful representation of the themes of temptation, wastefulness and moral decay, which are present in the original parable.