01 March - 31 May 2025
For the first time in decades, visitors can enjoy this series of works by one of the most celebrated painters of the Spanish Golden Age, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682) hanging side by side in the Dining Room at Russborough. Six remarkable paintings depicting the parable of the Prodigal Son.
Russborough proudly presents a landmark exhibition of The Prodigal Son series by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, marking the long-awaited return of these masterpieces after 20 years. This rare opportunity allows visitors to experience one of the most significant narrative cycles in European art, beautifully restored by the National Gallery of Ireland and reunited in the historic home where they were once displayed as part of the Beit Collection.
About the Artist
Born in Seville in 1617, Murillo spent his entire career in the city, apart from at least one brief sojourn to the court of Madrid. He trained with Juan del Castillo, a prominent local painter, and went on to become an artist of considerable talent. When Seville was ravaged by a plague and famine in 1649–1651, many of the established painters including Zurbarán left the city. Murillo, however, stood his ground and continued to build his success with private patrons and collectors in Seville. By the 1660s, he was at the height of his career.
The Prodigal Son Series
Depicting a parable from the Gospel of Luke against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Seville, each canvas captures a key moment in the narrative. Murillo’s six Prodigal Son paintings explore universal themes of sin, regret, and forgiveness in a profoundly evocative manner. These works are unique in many respects. Serial illustrations of religious subjects were rare in seventeenth-century Spanish art, where biblical narratives were typically limited to a single scene.
The Prodigal Son series is the only intact narrative cycle by Murillo and one of just two such cycles he ever created.
A Homecoming 20 Years in the Making
These paintings have a deep connection to Russborough. Once part of the Beit Collection, they were gifted, along with eleven other masterpieces, to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1987 by Sir Alfred and Lady Beit. The Prodigal Son series was so important to them, that all six pictures returned to Russborough for six months each year, until 2002.
Meticulous restoration and research by the Gallery began in 2012, taking six years to complete. Following significant exhibitions at the Gallery and internationally, these six masterpieces now make their long-awaited return to Russborough for visitors to experience them in their last historic home.
This exhibition is both a celebration of Murillo’s genius and testament to the enduring legacy of the Beits, whose remarkable legacy continues to enrich Ireland’s cultural heritage.
Plan Your Visit
See the Exhibition as part of our guided house tour. Tours run Monday to Friday 12pm to 3pm on the hour. Saturday & Sunday 10am to 4pm on the hour. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to see Murillo’s Prodigal Son series—restored, reunited, and home at Russborough for the first time in 20 years.
This exhibition is presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Ireland and generously supported by Forvis Mazars, Classic Conservation & Restoration, Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, and Fuel.