PARTRIDGE, 'THE MAID-OF-ALL-WORK', INK, 1923

318 by 260mm., pen and ink on board, signed, inscribed with title below mount, mounted, framed and glazed

EXHIBITED:
‘The Illustrators. The British Art of Illustration 1800-2014’, Chris Beetles Gallery,
November 2014-January 2015, no 83

Punch, 20 June 1923, page 589

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In January 1923, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Baldwin travelled to the United States to discuss the repayment of Britain’s war debt. The terms agreed were stiff, but the best Baldwin believed were available. The following month, he gave a speech affirming that ‘salvation for this country and the whole world’ was to be found in the four words: ‘Faith, Hope, Love and Work’. The power of the speech, its sincerity and idealism, had a strong impression on both the Commons and the country as a whole and, when Bonar Law resigned due to ill health in May 1923, it was little surprise that the popular Baldwin was chosen as his replacement. At the time of this cartoon, the country was struggling with rising unemployment and there were debates in the Commons over why the government was still paying unemployment benefits to young men and women who were formerly in, and still capable of, domestic service, when there were employers willing and anxious to provide them with employment. Baldwin, still riding a wave of popularity, is portrayed as the dutiful maidservant, carrying out multiple tasks on behalf of the country despite the problems with other ‘servants’. The term ‘servant problem’ may be a reference to the Jerome K. Jerome play Fanny and the Servant Problem, which was first performed in 1909.