summer 2012 | Volume 3 | Issue 2 The Magazine of the National Churchill Museum sir winston’s art reflects his life winston churchill on support for the arts the world crisis: “the fleet was ready” churchillian drama for cinema & television Board of Governors of the Association of Churchill Fellows FROM THE MESSAGE EXECUTIVE DIREctOR James M. Schmuck Chairman & Senior Fellow Wildwood, Missouri A.V. L. Brokaw, III Greetings from the campus of Westminster St. Louis, Missouri College where, while the academic world Robert L. DeFer Chesterfield, MO takes its habitual summer break, the work to Earle H. Harbison, Jr. remember Winston Churchill continues apace! St. Louis, Missouri William C. Ives In this edition of The Churchillian we consider Chapel Hill, North Carolina Hjalma E. Johnson a side of WSC that all are cognizant of yet Dade City, Florida which, perhaps, doesn’t get the attention that R. Crosby Kemper, III it might be due. The subject is the relationship Kansas City, Missouri Barbara D. Lewington between Churchill and art. Churchill of course famously found St. Louis, Missouri great distraction in painting and there is much to recommend an Richard J. Mahoney examination of his art and his attitude to the discipline. We began St. Louis, Missouri Jean-Paul Montupet our spring and summer odyssey being in receipt of a loaned original St. Louis, Missouri Churchill painting, the magnificent Firth of Forth. This brought our William R. Piper offering of Churchill paintings in the Museum to a grand total of St. Louis, Missouri three and it seemed apposite that we mark this by considering the Suzanne D. Richardson St. Louis, Missouri most illuminating aspect of Churchill’s life and personality. This The Honorable Edwina Sandys, M.B.E. year’s Enid and Crosby Kemper Lecture therefore was delivered New York, New York by noted Princeton Historian Sir David Cannadine who presented Lady Mary Soames L.G., D.B.E. a wonderful exposition of The Statesman as Artist complete with London, U.K. Linda Gill Taylor appropriate visual accompaniment of some of the better known, Edgerton, Missouri and less well known of his paintings, as well as some interesting John C. Wade works featuring Sir Winston as the subject. More details of this Wildwood, Missouri John R. McFarland, Emeritus year’s Kemper lecture together with photographs can be found on St. Louis, Missouri page 28. Immediately following the Kemper lecture of Churchill Harold L. Ogden, Emeritus weekend we responded to a request to loan another of our paintings, Seal Beach, California William H. Tyler, Emeritus Boats in Cannes Harbour, to the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, Pebble Beach, California Wisconsin. For several reasons we ended up making the trip to Marvin O. Young, Emeritus Appleton to deliver the painting and participate in what was a St. Louis, Missouri most impressive opening event to a very impressive exhibition, George B. Forsythe, Ph.D. President, Westminster College The Art of Winston Churchill. As you can see in the accompanying G. Robert Muehlhauser article on page 4, this was a wonderful gathering of Churchill Chairman, Board of Trustees related art and the presence of Governor Edwina Sandys and a Churchill Institute & Memorial Committee of the Board of Trustees, life size replica of ‘Breakthrough’ completed the occasion. Edwina Westminster College has kindly allowed us to reproduce her remarks in this edition. Heather A.T. Biehl, Chair Acton, Massachusetts James M. Schmuck, Vice Chair As ever I hope you enjoy this edition of The Churchillian and urge St. Louis, Missouri you to visit the Museum here in Fulton for the wonderful Our Ron J. Kostich Upland, California Lives, Our Stories summer exhibition that comes to us from the Jerry N. Middleton National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The dates and St. Louis, Missouri C. Robert Monroe more information can be found on page 31. Remember to let us know Overland Park, Kansas your thoughts on this edition of The Churchillian and don’t forget to John C. Panettiere Eclectic, Alabama explore our brand new website www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org. George K. Parkins Prairie Village, Kansas Anne E. Schneider Jefferson City, Missouri Linda Gill Taylor Dr. Rob Havers Edgerton, Missouri Executive Director, Ronald D. Winney National Churchill Museum Edwardsville, Illinois Robin Havers Executive Director summer 2012 | Volume 3 | Issue 2 Art of Winston Churchill by Timothy Riley Tradition and Novelty in Art by Winston S. Churchill Winston Churchill: His Art Reflects His Life by Edwina Sandys Beach at Walmer Fig 231 (C316), ca. 1938 by Winston Churchill The Naval Churchill and His Art by Michael Richards The National Churchill Museum is located on the Westminster College Another Kind of Churchill Art campus in Fulton, Missouri and by Richard M. Langworth designated by Congress as America's National Churchill Museum. Copyright material by Winston S. Churchill Weekend Photo Recap Churchill is reprinted within The Churchillian with the permission of Curtis Brown, London, on behalf of the Estate of Sir Winston Churchill. Our Lives, Our Stories by Liz Murphy Cover: “Boats in Cannes Harbour” (Coombs 300), oil on canvas by Winston Churchill, circa1935. Art historian David Coombs comments: “Cannes, at the heart of the Education & Public Programs French Riviera and as celebrated for its by Mandy Plybon climate as for its setting, inspired Churchill to paint some of his best pictures.” A gift of the New York state Friends of the Take the Churchill Challenge Winston Churchill Memorial and Library. by Friends of the National Churchill Museum Mrs. J. Sterling McClusky, President May 21, 1980. The Churchillian Crossword Special thanks to Churchill Heritage Ltd. for their kind permission to publish by Richard J. Mahoney and Brendon Emmett Quigley “Boats in Cannes Harbour” (Coombs 300) from the collection of the National Churchill Museum. “The Firth of Fourth” Letters to the Editor (Coombs 136) from the Private Collection of Richard J. Mahoney and “Beach by Rob Havers at Walmer” (Coombs 316) from the collection of The Trout Museum of Art. RT OF WINSTON CHURCHILL 4 the Churchillian | Summer 2012 The exterior of The Trout Museum Edwina Sandys, Churchill’s granddaughter, The art of Winston Churchill at of Art in Appleton, Wisconsin explains her grandfather’s approach to art. The Trout Museum of Art eginning in 1960, the Appleton, Wisconsin may not have won the war, Charles Krauthammer Artists Guild provided educational observed; his achievement was not to lose it. B opportunities for local artists, created a suitable gallery, and amassed a permanent collection. Sharing A prolific writer and speaker, Churchill wrote nearly and critiquing artwork and technique were among 15 million words during his lifetime, counting books, its first activities. After establishing the Appleton articles and speeches. There is, however, another Gallery of Art in 1972, the Guild moved to its current picture to be painted: the portrait of Churchill as artist location on College Avenue, becoming the Appleton and as an artist’s subject. Art Center in 2002. The 2010 Trout gift realized our longtime hope to have a permanent collection of Churchill took up oil painting at age 40 as a hobby and visual art in what is now The Trout Museum of Art. became a self-described “pastime painter.” Almost to the end of his life, he found solace behind the easel, In a meeting four years ago with the museum’s even amidst the monumental triumphs and tragedies of board of directors, Dr. Monroe Trout recounted his political and literary career. If a picture is indeed with enthusiasm the many works in his staggeringly worth a thousand words, then we must consider his diverse art collection, including pieces by James paintings, as well as the many artistic depictions Whistler, Salvador Dali, Andrea Locatelli and Marc of him, when examining his multifaceted life. Chagall. Thanks to a generous gift from Sandra and Monroe Trout in 2010, these masterpieces constitute The Trout Museum of Art is pleased to present an the nucleus of the Museum’s permanent collection. exhibit which showcases Churchill’s remarkable oil paintings alongside other sculptures, drawings, A self-described “Churchill nut,” Dr. Trout’s and paintings that capture his many aspects. enthusiasm and support set the stage for an exhibit The second floor of the exhibition features pieces entitled “The Art of Sir Winston Churchill.“ The by military veterans—men and women who, board, staff, and members of The Trout Museum like Churchill, were accomplished “pastime gratefully acknowledge Dr. Monroe and Sandra Trout painters.” Finally, the exhibit includes artwork for their inspiration and support of this exhibition; by three of Churchill’s family members, which and Edwina Sandys, Rob Havers and the National explore and expand upon the ideas and passions Churchill Museum in Fulton for kind assistance in to which he devoted his long and remarkable life. obtaining the loan of several important exhibits. Churchill was the subject of numerous depictions History has painted a portrait of Winston Churchill as in the media and the Arts. As with politicians and an ambitious, confident, bold, brash, sometimes flawed, luminaries today, the character of these images varied oftentimes brilliant, self-described “glow-worm.” wildly; some commemorative medallions and statues Volumes have been written about the statesman who portray the Prime Minister in the radiant light of a led Great Britain during World War II and inspired Roman Caesar, while disparaging political cartoons the nation’s “finest hour.” He is remembered today, show him as a stodgy, cigar-chomping curmudgeon. nearly five decades after his death, as a leader whose eccentricities and courage contributed mightily to his Perhaps no depiction is more infamous than Graham stubborn defiance in the face of adversity. Churchill Sutherland’s portrait, commissioned by Parliament to the Churchillian | Summer 2012 5 Dr.