1. “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
Do you agree?
What difference can a picture make to the way you understand something?

2. Holy Week through Art In this unit, we will learn
how to analyse a painting
how painting techniques influence the way you see the painting
reflect on what it teaches us about Holy Week
We will start off by practicing on a famous painting – what Bible story do you think it is telling?

3. Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son
Let’s remind ourselves of the story first.
Fill in the gapfills.
Explain in your book
how this story shows the pain of sin
how this story shows forgiveness

4. Rembrandt’s life was similar to the Lost Son’s life, in some ways.
He loved having a good time, enjoyed all the pleasures of life, extravagantly– food, wine, women, song. Then…his wife, who used to keep him in check, died.
He took a mistress, and had an illegitimate son with her. His extravagance had already made him poorer, but this relationship ruined his reputation, and he stopped getting painting jobs.
The child died, leaving him alone, ruined, and shunned by the Church. He longs to rejoin the community and return to the Church, and make his peace with God. But he knows he was in the wrong.
It is up to God to give him forgiveness, or not…
Just like in the picture..
Do you relate better to a story that is told in a “modern” context?
Or do you prefer it, if it is shown as it was in those days?

5. How would you recognise this as being from the Bible story?
Write out 5 details that give it away.
Watch the video.
What else does the commentary makes you notice?

6. Looking at the picture, answer the questions on the sheet – as many as you can.

7. Conclusion:
What did looking at this painting closely help you to notice? Explain 2 things you talked about.Eg lighting, positioning, focal point, mood, colours.
What does it make you understand about the story that you didn’t before? Explain 2 things.