// The Economist – Welcome to Britaly //

The cover of The Economist. 'Welcome to Britaly: A country of political instability, low growth and subordination to the bond markets'. This was a controversial cover which angered some people for its stereotypical imagery and made the newspapers and TV across Europe. The concept was requested by The Economist and it was never intended to offend. I also include a version without the 'pizza shield' which was requested about half an hour before the deadline so I had to work fast! Britannia is dressed in Roman attire, which also upset people, though Britannia as a symbol of Britain was born out of the Roman Empire and first used in the time of classical antiquity and has therefore always been depicted in this way. Illustrated covers need to communicate ideas quickly and succinctly, for this, yes, sometimes clichés work. Apologies to anyone who felt insulted, that was certainly not the intention of the artist. Feel free to use clichés of beer drinking, fish and chip eating Brits... I know I will given half the chance.