Old Bill

Old Bill has taken the bench with one leg crossed over the other and his right arm stretched along the back rail. A bent pipe is clamped in his teeth, a red neckerchief knotted over the white shirt, a pale blue waistcoat buttoned above it. Both hands close around a pigeon; two more birds and scattered coins rest on the planks beside him. A rust-coloured cloak hangs over the bench end, with a long-necked jug and a dark cup on the ground below.