The Return of the Prodigal Son 1862

Editor: Here we have James Tissot’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son” from 1862, done in oil paint. I'm struck by the sheer number of people depicted. They all seem to be reacting with such dramatic flair. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It’s interesting to consider Tissot's choice to set a biblical scene within what looks like a 17th-century social environment, a period grappling with significant societal shifts and class tensions. Notice how the "respectable" townspeople are situated on a higher platform, observing the destitute prodigal son. How might we interpret their gaze? Is it pity, judgment, or something more complex related to their own social standing? Editor: That's a good point. I hadn't considered their elevated position in that way. It does seem to reinforce a kind of class divide, like they’re spectators at a play. Curator: Exactly! Consider how the narrative of the Prodigal Son often serves as a parable about forgiveness and redemption, but here, the crowd's presence adds a layer of societal commentary. Are we witnessing genuine empathy or a performance of moral superiority? And who decides what’s forgivable? Does that have anything to do with poverty or transgression against social norms? Editor: I see what you mean. The painting isn't just about individual forgiveness, but also about how society collectively judges and reintegrates, or fails to reintegrate, those who stray. Curator: Precisely. And think about who’s *not* included in this tableau – who is missing from this story about reintegration, and why? Whose voices are marginalized in the biblical story itself? Considering such questions allows us to view the painting through an intersectional lens, one that accounts for the complexities of social justice and representation. Editor: That’s really changed how I see this painting. I’ll definitely be thinking about those missing voices and societal judgment. Curator: Excellent. That's precisely the goal—to use art to interrogate the world around us.