JOHN KYNNERSLEY KIRBY | The Week's Ration

Robert Kime, London, 18 March 2010

London, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 29 April - 7 August 1944, cat. no.325

War Time Calendar and Christmas Card circa 1944, (details untraced)
Alistair Langlands, Robert Kime, London, 2015, p.15, where the present work is photographed hanging in Robert Kime's central London shop.

The canvas is original. There is some frame abrasion to the extreme edges, most visible to the upper left edge. There are stretcher bar marks to the left, right and upper edges, and horizontally through the centre of the work with associated fine lines of cracking. There is a pattern of fine lines of cracking across the surface of the work. There are a small number of match head sized dents with associated paint loss, including to the upper right quadrant, to the figure's proper left shoulder, with associated radiating cracks, and his proper right hand, with possible instances elsewhere. There is a light diagonal scratch to the butcher's left shoulder. There is surface dirt, studio matter, staining, detritus and possible blooming throughout. The varnish is discoloured. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals lines and flecks of fluorescence and probable retouching to isolated areas of craquelure throughout the canvas. Held within a a gilt wooden frame, with chips. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
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When we queue for our chop in the Butcher’s Shop
Our thoughts turn to days of old,
With their choice of Chump or juicy Rump
Of saddle or Sirloin bold,
But as our JOINT efforts are helping the war
In no uncertain fashion,
The CUT’S worthwhile, so with WINNING smile
We take our weekly ration! During his career, James Kirby painted a series of works that centre on the local characters of Bishop’s Stortford going about their daily toils. The present painting depicts Charles J. Woodford, the butcher of Dane Street, defiantly posed behind his counter, on which sits a noticeably small cut of meat. Painted in 1944, at the height of nationwide rationing, the painting epitomises Britain’s fortitude and resilience in the face of adversity, and gained considerable attention when it was used in a wartime calendar published by Raphael Tuck alongside a rhyme on rationing.

Interestingly weekly meat rations in WWII could only have a maximum value of one shilling two pence as depicted in the present work.