De verloren zoon als varkenshoeder 1622 - 1653

Gillis (I) Peeters created this etching titled 'The lost son as a swineherd' sometime in the first half of the 17th century. It's small but evokes a grand narrative through its intricate details. The composition is dominated by strong diagonal lines, defining the humble architecture and guiding our eye through the scene. Notice how the light is used sparingly, creating stark contrasts that emphasize the desolation of the setting. Peeters employs hatching and cross-hatching to build up tonal depth, adding a palpable texture to the worn-out structures and the haggard figure of the prodigal son. This detailed articulation of poverty links directly to the moral lesson of the biblical story. The artist makes use of a semiotic system where visual squalor serves as an allegory for spiritual decay. Yet, within this ruin, there's a structured beauty in how the lines converge and diverge, mirroring the narrative's themes of fall and potential redemption. The composition suggests that even in degradation, formal order persists.