The Return of the Prodigal Son is an oil on canvas painting by the dutch painter and etcher Rembrandt van Rijn. It was painted in 1669. Rembrandt's final word is given in his monumental painting of the Return of the Prodigal Son. Here he interprets the Christian idea of mercy with an extraordinary solemnity, as though this were his spiritual testament to the world. This painting (262 x 206 cm) is currently housed in The Hermitage, St. Petersburg.