Parable of the Prodigal Son (detail) 1536

This is a detail of ‘Parable of the Prodigal Son,’ painted by Jan van Hemessen sometime in the 16th century, using oil on panel. The prodigal son receives his inheritance from his father; counting his coins with miserly intent. Look closely, and you can see how the artist painstakingly built up layers of oil paint to achieve a realistic rendering of flesh and fabric. The artist was likely trained through a long apprenticeship, carefully learning how to prepare his own paints from raw pigments, and precisely apply thin glazes to achieve a luminous depth of color. Hemessen brought a distinctive approach to the traditions of Early Netherlandish painting. While he certainly demonstrated technical mastery of oil paint, he was more interested in capturing raw human emotions. Hemessen’s workshop was organized according to a capitalist model, producing both original works, and replicas for an eager market. Paying attention to the materials and processes of creation helps us understand the social and economic context in which the artwork was produced, and moves us beyond just thinking about beauty.