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Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Mutual Congratulations depicts two chess pieces with skulls atop. These represent two socialite figures belonging to the upper class. They are hollow like death and the mutual congratulations are just as empty and insignificant as they annul each other. Representing the social elite as skeletal forms was a favourite theme of Banting's and is most apparent in his book, 'The Blue Book of Conversation', 1946 which caricatures the upper class in this manner. The sarcasm of the work is a reflection of his disapproval of the superficiality of English high society, particularly those who remained at home and profited from World War Two.
A British Surrealist work depicting two chess pieces with skulls on top, which represent the upper class of Britain. They are hollow like death and the mutual congratulations are just as empty as they annul each other. The sarcasm of John Banting's work is a reflection of his disapproval of the superficiality as he saw it of the English high society.
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