Verloren zoon verbrast zijn geld met lichtekooien 1620 - 1686

This etching, titled 'Verloren zoon verbrast zijn geld met lichtekooien', was made by Nicolas Cochin around the mid-17th century and is in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The composition’s balance is immediately striking, divided between shadow and light, and contrasting foliage and open sky. The artist invites us to consider the visual elements as components within a broader semiotic system. Take the image's organization, for instance. Cochin uses line and form to guide our eyes, almost like following a narrative thread. The figures are arranged dynamically, each gesture and posture contributing to the story of dissipation and eventual ruin. This approach challenges us to see beyond the surface and decode the underlying structure of the image. Here, Cochin uses formal means to explore themes of morality and human folly, reflecting wider philosophical concerns about wealth, pleasure, and the consequences of excess. The interplay of light and shadow functions as a symbolic language in itself, emphasizing the transient nature of earthly pleasures.