Master of the Prodigal Son

Possibly Lord Robert Dudley (1532–1588), 1st Earl of Leicester, England;
Possibly Cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763-1839); 
Collection Wesendonck, Zurich, until 2012.

This panel comprises of three pieces of wood that are cradled and stable.The joins of each board run vertically from top to bottom; one runs down through the saint and Virgin, and the other runs down through Christ's shoulder. A very small, minor crack is on the lower center of the panel. Inspection under UV light shows retouching all along the aforementioned joins. Scattered, small retouches are visible throughout the background and the figures, with larger retouches concentrated on the Virgin's veil and the face and red drapery of the figure that stands behind her. The painting is presentable and can be hung as is. It is offered in a shaped top ebonized and gilded molded frame.
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This anonymous master, named after the grand and complex painting of that subject in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 986), is believed to have worked in Antwerp in the first half of the 16th century. His style has been likened to to that of Pieter Coecke van Aelst (1502–50) and Frans Floris (1517–70), comparison which would show that the Master was primarily active in Antwerp from 1530s until at least 1550s. The format of this painting is similar to a composition by the Master of the Prodigal Son in the National Gallery, London (inv. no. NG266). They were both most likely made to encourage meditation and placed at the center of an altarpiece.