Alfred, ‘King of the Swiggers’ is a portrayal of the juxtaposition of this handsome hulk of an orangutan in a street scene in an urban environment. Like many of Paul’s paintings there are interesting and humorous elements within the painting and what could be perceived as aspects of social comment in terms of how humankind is impacting on the environment.

Poor Alfred is looking somewhat disconsolate as he finds himself on the kerbside fingering the bars of the grate, far away from his normal wild habitat. Both bottles of beer make pertinent references; ‘Out of his tree’ which has a double interpretation; one that he is quite literally away from his normal living situation and of course the same expression is used for the state in which you might become after a few bevies! ‘Man of high standing’ can be interpreted similarly as the translation of ‘orangutan’ is ‘Man of the forest’ and in his current predicament sarcasm of his circumstances can be implied. He definitely looks like he is in need of being rescued.

The painting itself is fabulously executed and the detail in the fur in particular, demonstrates the immaculate fine detail for which Paul is renowned.