Jacques de Gheyn II

This engraving by De Gheyn reflects Hendrick Goltzius’s influence, with its swelling lines and density of lozenges and dots that create volume and light, but it also shows De Gheyn’s stronger tendency toward the finer detail and descriptive qualities that line could achieve. The luxurious ornament throughout the image is appropriate to the subject, as it serves to reinforce the sensual and sexual nature of the prodigal son’s digressions.

This large, two-sheet print, meant to be pasted together, depicts a popular subject in the Protestant north. The prodigal son is a young man dressed in a fashionable doublet who bows to his dancing partner, a young woman with a shimmering gown reminiscent of allegorical depictions of Vanity. Dedicated to the leader of the Dutch military in its struggle against Spain, the moralizing verses warn sinners of the seduction of love, and implore them to seek forgiveness with God, who will forgive those who repent. The ambiguity of the image’s message (should we indulge in the visual pleasures, or eschew them?) threatens to undermine its overall moral intent.