House

Winston the artist Remembered as Britain’s most forceful statesman and war leader, was also a prolific writer and painter. Hugh St Clair explores the great man’s ‘hinterland’

inston Churchill and Adolf Hitler may times of unhappiness, he painted more. When he found have been arch enemies, but both men himself removed as Prime Minister by the electorate in shared a love of painting. During the 1945, his output increased dramatically. He decided to First World War, they were only a few escape to Italy to stay with a friend and distracted himself miles from each other with their paint from his disappointment through brush and easel. Wboxes depicting scenes from the Western Front. Hitler Winston Churchill didn’t pick up a paintbrush until became frustrated that he was not accepted by Germany’s he was over 40 and had never been in an art gallery until art world and was forced to eke out an existence selling 1915, although he had seen great paintings at his family’s his images as postcards. Churchill quite wisely never home, . Two years earlier, he’d given a sought to become a professional artist and was therefore speech at the Royal Academy of Arts as First Lord of the spared rejection. Neither men were fans of Modern French Admiralty, but his theme was about the importance of and German art. Churchill did believe, though, that in a British sea power rather than anything about art. But democracy artists could paint what they liked, unlike his from then he gave many speeches to the Royal Academy German adversary. However, he made exceptions when and wrote art reviews in newspapers extolling the virtues it came to pictures of himself, expressing a great dislike of painting and discussing various artists’ merits. These of Ruskin Spear’s depiction. He hated Graham Sutherland’s speeches and articles have just been compiled into a portrait, which was destroyed by Lady Churchill after his fascinating book by respected historian David Cannadine death. But this may have been because he didn’t like being entitled Churchill: The Statesman as Artist. shown as a frail old man. In the late 1940s, John Rothenstein, director of the Winston Churchill saw painting as a respite from his Tate Gallery, visited Churchill at , his country political duties and a panacea for his bouts of depression, home in Kent, citing Delacroix’s observation that to know which he called ‘the black dog’. He never sought to sell a painter you must see him in his studio. Rothenstein his work and, indeed, every painting remained until his found he had recovered from his electoral setback and death with his family found the former Prime and friends, or modern Minister relaxed and world statesmen who happy in his siren suit received them as gifts. embroidered with his He published a book, initials in gold. They Painting as a Pastime, went down to his garden recently reprinted, studio – a long, narrow outlining his thoughts room brightly lit by high on men who have to windows along two b ea r except iona l walls, beneath which responsibilities. ‘I were a row of paint tubes. consider myself lucky Churchill often remarked that painting came to to visitors, ‘A day my rescue in a most away from Chartwell is a trying time… Painting day wasted.’ is a friend who makes Winston and his no undue demands.’ wife Clementine bought Normally, Winston Chartwell House and Churchill produced one 800 surrounding acres in Self-portrait, picture a month, but in 1922, primarily for the w c1915 Winter Sunshine at Chartwell, c1924

56 The Lady 2 NOVEMber 2018 2 NOVEMber 2018 The Lady 57 House

The Dining Room at Chartwell with Diana Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill paints in his studio, 1945 (left); with Clementine, 1924 (above) beautiful view over the Kent Weald and, with the help of two shillings a piece’. Beaverbrook was wrong. Interest the architect Philip Tilden, set about remodelling what in everything about Winston Churchill has reached a they saw as a dark and dreary Victorian house into a new generation who weren’t even born when he led Britain acki z c modern, light-filled home. The Churchills insisted on to victory. After the death of his daughter , u their sitting room, and her bedroom above, had a three- some of his paintings were included in a Sotheby’s sale sided aspect from which they could gaze over the huge of selected items from her estate. His picture Goldfish fan B te expanse of scenery. Winston, who enjoyed bricklaying, Pool at Chartwell fetched £1.5m. The subject matter and helped build some walls and tile the roof of one of the S s by n e cottages on the estate. Now in the possession of the ‘Interest in everything about Winston d r . National Trust, the house remains much as the Churchills a d left it. The studio walls are covered with his colourful Churchill has reached a new generation’ e Lt local landscapes but also views of the Mediterranean and ag t some still lifes. Winston particularly enjoyed painting ownership gave it exceptional value, but in 2017, an Essex i the bright light of Morocco and managed to escape to auction house still managed to sell one of his landscapes Marrakech during the dark days of war. He gave his 1943 for £230,000. ’s Houses and G painting, View of Marrakech, to President Roosevelt. Today, people mourn that politicians lack ‘hinterland’, chill Her chill ur ur But what of his reputation as an artist? In 1947, two that they don’t have hobbies or interests outside politics. h paintings by him submitted under the pseudonym David Churchill was adamant that ‘the cultivation of a hobby h f C Winter were accepted for the Royal Academy Summer is a policy of first importance to a public man’. ■ d © C

Exhibition. Augustus John, seeing Churchill’s work a few ◆ Churchill: The Statesman as Artist edited by David e Lt tory o tory ag t years before his death, wrote: ‘Our Statesman, Artist and Cannadine is published by Bloomsbury, priced £25. Painting i Historian has stuck to his guns and shows us all, how by as a Pastime is published by Unicorn Press, priced £7.99. ld S to disregarding the wiseacres and lures of Fashion, he has, From Blenheim to Chartwell: The Untold Story of Churchill’s as if by instinct, what surely must be the basic principles Houses and Gardens by Stefan Buczacki is published by e Un chill Her : Th of the Masters: “to thine own self be true.”’ Unicorn, priced £25 ur h ll

In the late 1950s, newspaper proprietor Lord ◆ The Studio at Chartwell is open all year round, except January e f C Beaverbrook offered £150,000 for all Churchill’s paintings, 2019. Chartwell House reopens on 1 March 2019: 01732-868381, w rt n o o i

telling him that, ‘when you are gone, they won’t be worth www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell ha ss mi er im to C Churchill e nh bricklaying, e h kind p t

date m Bl ro unknown d wi e c n f u e d ak ro p w t s re m ro ing t ain es; P mag w and all botto rust I rust p ro e to nal T o i t

Churchill’s study (above) and the Butterfly a y; N y; Walk (right) at Chartwell House es middl mag I Gett 58 The Lady 2 NOVEMber 2018