Ronald Rae’s Return of the Prodigal sculpture was commissioned by General Accident in 1982 to interpret the company’s motto “I warn and I protect”. The composition of the father and son was inspired by Rembrandt’s painting of The Prodigal Son in The Hermitage, St.Petersburg.
After 30 years of standing on the hill above Perth, Nature has covered the sculpture with lichens adding colour and texture to the stone which greatly excites the sculptor.
Lovely to see the sculpture again. I remember Ronnie carving it and coming to visit you both in Perth. I would have been 12 at the time!
Thanks Lesley. Yes we were all much younger then! How time flies.
Loved this! Don’t think I’ve seen this sculpture before. Ronnie gets more passionate with age, which is good to see as well.
Thank you Gail. He was so inspired at seeing this work from the past that he is thinking about carving another stone!
Just come across this and I worked on the GA site when Ronald was carving his ‘Prodigal’ installation. I recall he did have to suffer some terrible weather whilst carrying out his work and quite often the ‘fathers head’ was adorned with a builder’s hard hat!!
Halcyon days and I must pop in and see it in its ageing glory; I do hope it is still there.
Thank you for this Lawrence. I remember those days well at the General Accident site on the hill – a very cold winter for carving granite. The sculpture is still there although it has been moved a few yards across the road further up the hill as the land it was on was sold off. It is now owned by the insurance company Aviva.