56 - Master of the Prodigal Son (attributed to)

Master of the Prodigal Son (attributed to) (active in Antwerp in the second third of the 16th century) Elijah Taken Up into Heaven Oil on canvas 92 x 133.5 cm. Framed The painting depicts the Ascension of the Prophet Elijah, carried up to Heaven in a chariot of fire as he parts from his disciple Elisha, who catches his mantle (2 Kings 2:9–12). Beyond the Jordan River, witnesses observe the event, while Jerusalem is depicted with typically Roman architectural elements, following a convention widespread in early sixteenth-century painting; a coat of arms featuring a mitered abbot in the lower right may indicate the original patron. The refined composition is attributed to the Master of the Prodigal Son, who was active in Antwerp between c. 1530 and 1560 and was among the leading figures of Flemish Renaissance painting. His work combines Italian influences with pronounced Raphael-inspired elements in the treatment of figures and composition. The attribution is supported by comparisons with works including the Works of Mercy at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Valenciennes, the Return of Tobias at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Ghent, and Esther before Ahasuerus at the Hôpital Sainte-Elisabeth in Lier. Private collection, Rome.