Titlepage from The Parable of the Prodigal Son - James Tissot

An etching by James Tissot, this title page introduces his series on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, featuring the biblical text presented on an open book.

This etching by James Tissot serves as the title page for his series depicting the biblical narrative of the Prodigal Son. Tissot, a French artist who spent a significant portion of his career in London, produced this work during his transition towards religious subjects. The composition presents an open book, its pages filled with the text from the Gospel of St. Luke, detailing the four stages of the parable: The Departure, In Foreign Climes, The Return, and The Fatted Calf. The artist employs a precise, linear technique characteristic of his printmaking practice. The book appears to rest on a flat surface, with its pages splayed open and held by thin, trailing ribbons that extend beyond the margins of the text block. Tissot includes his signature, the date, and his London address at 17 Grove End Road, St. John's Wood, in the lower right corner, grounding the work in his specific historical and geographical context. The monochromatic palette relies on the contrast between the dark, etched lines of the text and the lighter paper ground, creating a sense of physical presence for the book itself. Unlike his later, more expansive religious cycles, this early series demonstrates Tissot's interest in narrative structure and the integration of text with image. The work reflects the Victorian fascination with biblical illustration and the technical capabilities of the etching medium. By presenting the narrative arc directly on the title page, Tissot invites the viewer to engage with the sequence of events before examining the individual plates that follow. The attention to the texture of the paper and the weight of the book suggests a focus on the object as a tangible vessel for the story, rather than a purely decorative element.