The Prodigal Son

According to the Bible, the prodigal son was a youth who wasted his wealth on riotous living, then returned home poor and repentant. Here, in a tavern, he shares the last of a rich meal with two prostitutes. A large bed looms suggestively behind them. Completing the theme of wine, women and song, two street musicians play a flute and a violin. On a nearby chair, the young man's bright red cloak and sword underscore the temporary nature of his stay. To clarify his narrative of the prodigal son's bondage to vice, Teniers included a clothed monkey eating an apple, an ancient symbol of love, and dragging a ball and chain.