A viral image of Jacob Rees-Mogg reclining on a bench in the House of Commons evokes an acknowledged motif in art, writes Hannah Jane Parkinson. She compares the politician's now-infamous slouch to some of art history's greatest examples.
'Jacob Rees-Mogg appears to have sunk even lower – literally. During probably the most important Commons debate in modern history, Rees-Mogg could be seen lolling insolently on the front benches like Kevin the Teenager, if Kevin the Teenager wore double-breasted suits at least 18 sizes too big for him. When challenged on his slouching by Caroline Lucas – who called his body language “contemptuous” – the MP did not sit up but smirked and adjusted his glasses, because, folks, that’s just the kind of guy he is.
It’s true that politicians sometimes lean back on the benches to listen to the speakers positioned at the end of the row, but the House was not at all noisy when Rees-Mogg was smeared across the seat like a stain. The picture quickly went viral and his disrespectful reclining may well come to be a defining image of this tumultuous and, in certain respects, unprecedented period in Britain’s politics.' ... Keep reading on The Guardian
'Jacob Rees-Mogg appears to have sunk even lower – literally. During probably the most important Commons debate in modern history, Rees-Mogg could be seen lolling insolently on the front benches like Kevin the Teenager, if Kevin the Teenager wore double-breasted suits at least 18 sizes too big for him. When challenged on his slouching by Caroline Lucas – who called his body language “contemptuous” – the MP did not sit up but smirked and adjusted his glasses, because, folks, that’s just the kind of guy he is.
It’s true that politicians sometimes lean back on the benches to listen to the speakers positioned at the end of the row, but the House was not at all noisy when Rees-Mogg was smeared across the seat like a stain. The picture quickly went viral and his disrespectful reclining may well come to be a defining image of this tumultuous and, in certain respects, unprecedented period in Britain’s politics.' ... Keep reading on The Guardian