This book presents, with commentary, a portion of the art collection of Jerry Evenrud. It is the largest known collection of images of the parable of the Prodigal Son and encompasses works from
1540 to 1948. The historical span of the collection affirms the continuing resonance of the parable. The media range from etchings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, and fabric. The collection
reveals the desire of the artists to delve into the meaning of the parable and to convey that meaning to others. Some artists depict the entire narrative in a series of works, usually four to
six segments. Others focus on one aspect, such as the pig pen or the return of the prodigal. The segment most frequently portrayed by a single print is the homecoming embrace by the father-the
scene that represents the focus of the parable and thus of faith-grace and forgiveness.
