Grayson Perry: The Upper Class at Bay

Tim and his wife have now moved to the countryside and are walking in the land around their mansion in the Cotswolds, an idyllic area in south central England. The scene resembles 18th century British artist Thomas Gainsborough’s famous painting Mr and Mrs Andrews, showing a couple in the fields of their estate. Behind the couple stands an oak tree, a symbol of stability and continuity, and, to their left, sheaves of corn, a symbol of fertility.

The stag in the middle of the scene represents the upper class or aristocratic people living in that region. Perry shows how this social group are burdened by large tax bills and the fraying tweed fabric covering the stag implies their struggle to preserve their old houses and traditions. Tim is also depicted facing problems, as a wealthy man he has attracted the attention of protesters campaigning against social inequality who are shown camped outside his house.