In the mid-17th century, Bartolomé Estebán Murillo embarked on an ambitious project: a series of six large canvases narrating the biblical parable of the prodigal son, intended for the Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes in Seville. The Prodigal Son taking leave of his Home is the first in this sequence, setting the stage for one of Christianity’s most enduring tales of repentance and forgiveness. This cycle was among Murillo’s largest narrative undertakings, and several of the paintings, including this one, were later dispersed across Europe after the Peninsular War, making their way into various collections. The scene unfolds at the precise moment the prodigal son, restless and determined, bids farewell to his grieving father and family.

Murillo captures the drama with a keen eye for gesture: the son, dressed in fine clothes and clutching a purse, stands poised to depart, his body angled toward the open world, while his father’s hand lingers on his arm—a silent plea for reconsideration. Servants and animals populate the background, reinforcing the wealth and comfort the son is abandoning. The warm, golden light typical of Murillo’s Baroque style bathes the figures, imbuing the domestic setting with a sense of both comfort and impending loss.

Unlike Rembrandt’s famously introspective take on the prodigal son’s return, Murillo’s focus here is on the rupture of departure, the pain and hope suspended in a single moment. Though the exact patron for the series remains uncertain, it is clear that these paintings were created for a charitable institution, reflecting Murillo’s deep engagement with religious and social themes in Seville. Over the centuries, The Prodigal Son taking leave of his Home has traveled far from its original home, a fate shared by many Spanish works during periods of war and upheaval. Today, the painting is preserved in the National Gallery of Ireland, testament to Murillo’s enduring appeal and the international journeys of Spanish art.

This work stands as an early example of Murillo’s mature period, when his narrative clarity and empathy for human emotion reached their height.