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The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin, made between 1885 and 1887 as part of The Gates of Hell project. Several versions exist, including one at the Rodin Museum in Paris and another at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The work depicts the return of the prodigal son to his father and the exemplary son, focusing on the repentant figure as he begs for compassion. Rodin placed the man kneeling on a rock, with raised arms, an arched back, and an open mouth to emphasize sorrow, pain, guilt, and anguish. The gesture and posture convey a sense of defeat.

The Prodigal Son by Auguste Rodin, a bronze sculpture of a kneeling nude man with arms raised and head thrown back.
Auguste Rodin’s The Prodigal Son shown as a bronze nude figure kneeling with outstretched arms.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Prodigal Son bronze sculpture showing a muscular nude male figure with arms raised and head thrown back.
The Prodigal Son by Auguste Rodin, shown here as a dark bronze figure straining upward from a bent position.
October 2019 © · Public domain
The Prodigal Son bronze statue of a kneeling nude man with arms raised and head thrown back, with another robed figure behind him.
The Prodigal Son by Auguste Rodin, shown as a dramatic bronze figure kneeling with his arms raised.
© · CC BY-SA 2.0
Rodin\'s The Prodigal Son sculpture showing a nude male figure kneeling with arms thrown upward in a museum gallery.
The Prodigal Son by Auguste Rodin displayed in a museum gallery.
June 2026 © · CC BY 4.0
The Prodigal Son bronze sculpture showing a male figure from the waist up with arms raised above his head.
The Prodigal Son shown in a dramatic bronze pose with arms raised overhead.
© · CC0

Identification

TitleThe Prodigal Son
Other titlesIl figliol prodigo; Le Fils prodigue; El hijo pródigo
TypeSculpture

Creator

ArtistAuguste Rodin

Historical context

Date of creation1885–1887
ContextMade as part of The Gates of Hell
Contemporary workThe second model of The Burghers of Calais
Related workYoung Man Desperate

Discovery and provenance

Related sources and reuseDerived from the male figure of Fugit Amor; the head and torso were also used in Ugolino and His Sons; it also appears in sketches for the entrance of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris
Locations of versionsRodin Museum, Paris; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Musée Rodin, Paris
VersionsSeveral versions exist

Iconography and meaning

SubjectThe prodigal son
Biblical sourceThe Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)
InterpretationExplores the feelings and attitudes in the parable of the prodigal son; the young man appears to have squandered his inheritance and abandoned his father, and the return of the prodigal son to his father is implied, with the exemplary son also present

Appearance

PoseThe man is kneeling on a rock with his arms raised and his back arched
Facial expressionHis mouth is open, as if shouting
MoodSadness, pain, guilt, anguish, and defeat

Significance

Art-historical contextThe parable has inspired many artists in the history of Western art