Plate (part of a set of six) 1785 - 1795

This tin-glazed earthenware plate was made around 1770 in Delft, Holland, and it’s one of a set of six, each illustrating a scene from the parable of the Prodigal Son. The images and text on these plates offer a moral lesson on wealth, class, and the family, ideas which were increasingly circulating within popular culture during this period. The story of the Prodigal Son highlights issues of family dynamics, and generational values, set against a backdrop of economic and social change. During this time, the Dutch Republic was undergoing shifts in its economic structure, moving from a mercantile to a more finance-based system. This plate and others like it, reflect the moral and social anxieties around these shifts. We, as historians, look into archives, libraries and collections to further understand how social and institutional factors influenced the artist and its intended audience. We see that art objects like this one offer insights into the cultural values, beliefs, and social structures of their time.