Like an Old Testament patriarch, the father lays his hands upon the shoulders of the … Rembrandt's continual purchases of fine art, prints and rarities, plus his expensive home mortgage, played significant roles in driving him to the brink of bankruptcy by 1656. In 1654/1655, Guercino painted a colorful and idealized version of The Return of the Prodigal Son in the Timken Museum of Art in San Diego. Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Return of the Prodigal Son is, by far, one of the most evocative of these “visual homilies.” One cannot be left unmoved before this unforgettable image, permanently housed at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Rembrandt scholar Rosenberg (et al.) Rembrandt`s “Return of the prodigal son,” painted in 1668 toward the end of his life, and now hanging in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, is a truly astounding work of sacred art. The Return of the Prodigal Son demonstrates the mastery of the late Rembrandt. Such works as The Jewish Bride (1662) and The Return of the Prodigal Son (1669) illustrate the artist's mastery of the use of light. Analysis of The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt. Countless artists have attempted to bring this biblical passage to life. calls the painting "monumental", writing that Rembrandt The Prodigal Son by other artists: To better understand what makes this painting by Rembrandt so special, it is helpful to compare Rembrandt’s version with those of some famous colleagues of him. In The Return of the Prodigal Son - one of Rembrandt's last paintings before his death - all dynamism has vanished. His evocation of spirituality and the parable's message of forgiveness has been considered the height of his art.