Bronze statue of St John the Baptist
The bronze statue of John the Baptist, Patron Saint of St John’s and the city of Perth, is located in the North Transept.
The statue is by an Indian sculptor, Finandra Bose (1888–1926). Bose was born in Calcutta and studied in Edinburgh. He became part of ‘the new sculpture’ movement in Britain, taking his inspiration from Parisian artists such as Rodin and M.J.A Mercie, where the creation of small figurative statues focused on realism, movement and symbolism.
He has been described as the first Indian sculptor to achieve recognition in Great Britain, and is one of the first international artists to become a member of The Royal Scottish Academy, in 1925, where his work was exhibited regularly.
Bose married a Scot’s woman, Molly Ferguson, and they settled in Edinburgh, where Molly ran the Dean Studios, Belford Road, Edinburgh, 1918-1926. He died in Peebles at the age of 38, following a fishing accident.
The angel figure, in stone, in the adjacent War Memorial, is also by Bose.
The figure of John bears a scroll which would contain the words “I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God”.
He carries the cross of martyrdom, depicting that he was to be put to death
for his beliefs.