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An original satirical illustration, executed in gouache or acrylic on paper or board. The composition depicts a caricatured worker in a green jumpsuit straining to operate a BICC Cables reel on a dockside. In the background, the ship Cleopatra is moored with two naval officers standing on deck. The piece incorporates multiple comic-style speech bubbles and sound-effect text including PUFF! PANT! and TWANG!. A speech bubble in the lower left, originating from two kingfisher birds, contains faint text reading: HEY PETE! US REAL LIVE KINGFISHERS GAVE UP THESE DINOSAUR METHODS YEARS AGO. The bollard is inscribed HELLO SAILOR. The work is signed and dated Peter Burns 1982 in the upper right quadrant, with a further handwritten inscription below reading: Best Wishes to you for 1983. The painting is housed in a light-toned wooden frame with a gold-toned inner fillet.
Condition report:
The artwork is in good overall condition. There is visible fading or deliberate overpainting to the white pigment within the speech bubbles, which has rendered the internal text faint. The wooden frame shows minor surface wear and small scuffs consistent with age.
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