The Prodigal Son with Harlots n.d.

Amos Doolittle created this engraving titled "The Prodigal Son with Harlots". Doolittle lived during a time of immense social and political change, including the American Revolution, where traditional social structures were being questioned and redefined. The print references a biblical parable and reveals complex attitudes towards morality, class, and gender in late 18th-century America. The narrative presents the "prodigal son," a figure who squanders his inheritance on immoral pursuits. Surrounded by women, identified as "harlots," this scene seems to caution against the perils of excess and the allure of transient pleasures. Consider the power dynamics at play. The women are depicted in a way that suggests their dependence on the son's wealth, while he is also ensnared by them. It is a narrative about economic and moral exchanges. The print doesn't merely illustrate a biblical tale; it reflects societal anxieties about wealth, morality, and the roles of women. It invites us to think about what it meant to be moral, wealthy, and a woman in the late 1700s.