A bearded man in a deep red robe embraces a kneeling youth at the center of the scene, his hands resting gently on the young man's bare shoulders. The youth, barefoot and ragged, gazes upward with an expression of exhaustion and relief, his tattered clothing exposing his back and knees. A small white dog leaps up at the youth’s leg, adding a note of lively welcome to the moment of reunion.

To the left, a man in a brown headscarf leads a calf toward the group, while a young boy looks on, his attention fixed on the central figures. Behind the father, a woman in pale clothing and a young child observe the embrace, their faces marked by curiosity and gentle concern. On the right, a young man in a yellow tunic holds out a tray piled with fine garments and a ring, ready to clothe the returned son.

Another man stands beside him, peering over the tray, while a third figure lingers in the shadows, half obscured by darkness. The setting is a grand architectural space, with tall columns and a broad staircase leading into the background, and a cloudy sky visible through an opening at the left. Soft light falls from the upper left, illuminating the faces and fabrics, and casting gentle shadows that model the forms with subtlety.

Murillo uses warm earth tones for the figures’ clothing, contrasted with cool blues and whites in the garments and sky, and the brushwork is smooth, with delicate transitions of color and light. The composition gathers the figures in a tight, semicircular arrangement, focusing all attention on the emotional encounter between father and son. The Return of the Prodigal Son was painted by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo between 1667 and 1670.