Examines several oddities within the canon of prints of the biblical prodigal son, centering on two sets by the same artist that disrupt predictable formulae. 'History of the Prodigal Son,' 1775 and the series 'Laetitia.' 1789 by John Raphael Smith; English prototypes of prodigal narrative; Response to changing patterns of family life; Prodigal daughter portrayed by a prostitute in 'Laetitia.'