The Prodigal Daughter 1903

John Collier’s ‘The Prodigal Daughter’ is an oil painting, though no date is given it looks like it was most likely made in the late 19th century. Look at the dark tones used, they are almost muddy in places, which gives the scene a strangely intimate feel. You can really see the materiality of the oil paint, particularly on the daughter's dress. There are thick impasto sections, almost sculptural in their presence, built up like you might build a cake! These contrast with the thinner, more transparent areas around the edges, especially in the shadows, creating a push and pull effect on the surface of the canvas. The paint looks like it has been applied with a variety of brushes, some broad and sweeping, others finer and more precise, especially where you can see little details like the red sash. This feels so much like the way we work through things in life, stumbling through with broad gestures, and then really thinking about the finer details. This painting reminds me of some of the dark paintings of Paula Modersohn-Becker, and how they both invite a range of readings that shift between literal and symbolic interpretations. Isn’t it wonderful how artworks can embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings?