The Prodigal Son Receiving His Patrimony
PrintmakerEtched by
Amos Doolittle
American, 1754 - 1832
PublisherPublished by
Shelton & Kensett
American, founded 1813
Date1814
MediumEtching and stipple; printer's ink and watercolor on wove paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 12 5/8 x 9 3/4in. (32.1 x 24.8cm)
Platemark (height x width): 14 5/16 x 10 7/16in. (36.4 x 26.5cm)
Sheet (height x width): 14 3/4 x 11in. (37.5 x 27.9cm)
Platemark (height x width): 14 5/16 x 10 7/16in. (36.4 x 26.5cm)
Sheet (height x width): 14 3/4 x 11in. (37.5 x 27.9cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
DescriptionTwo men stand beside a table which is covered with a tablecloth. An elderly man is seated in an armchair at the left. He is wearing a wig and holds eyeglasses in his right hand. All three men wear coats, vests, breeches, hose, and shoes with buckles. Some have lace cuffs or stocks. Three piles of coins are arranged at the back of the table. Additional money is scattered at the front of the table. A writing set, consisting of an ink well, another container, and a quill pen in a tray with a handle, is at the right. A framed landscape is on the wall at the left. An urn or finial is on a pedestal beneath it. Bookcases containing books are in the rear wall. One bookcase, with double doors, may also contain a safe. A globe of the world is in a stand in the right background. A patterned carpet is on the floor.
Object number1992.140.1
InscribedOn recto, etched title beneath image, printed in black ink, "The PRODIGAL SON receiving his PATRIMONY. / He gathered all together and took his Journey into a far Country. / St. Luke 15 Chap 13 V"On verso, lower right, in pencil, accession numberNotesAmos Doolittle's four prints of The Prodigal Son include elements from Connecticut portrait paintings of the late 18th century, situating the Biblical parable in a setting that would have been immediately familar to contemporary viewers. Like many of Doolittle's prints of the Prodigal Son, this one was printed on a sheet of paper that had previously been used for a large map.
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