Faith, Friendship and Forgiveness: Deconstructive Readings of Three Biblical Paintings by Rembrandt

The book forwards a deconstructive analysis of three biblical paintings by Rembrandt, all in the collection of the Hermitage Museum at Saint Petersburg, Russia. Isaac’s Sacrifice, 1635, David and Jonathan, 1642, and finally The Return of the Prodigal Son, c. 1668, allow an introspection on faith, friendship and forgiveness, three perennial issues for human existence which, however, have a strong reverberation in today’s current sociopolitical situation, in the Western world. Faith leads to a suspension of ethics, allowing us thus to understand the several crimes committed, even nowadays, in its name, friendship is imbued with politics and love, becoming thus a very rare and precious phenomenon, not only among people but also among states and, finally, forgiveness must be thought along with the unforgivable so that, when granted, it does not lead to oblivion or suppression.