HOUSE WinSTON CHURchill the artist Remembered as Britain’s most forceful statesman and war leader, Winston Churchill 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, Blenheim Palace. 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 Chartwell, 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 58 telling him that, ‘when you are gone, they won’t be worth be won’t they gone, are you ‘when that, him telling B theof Masters: thine “to own self be true.”’ principles basic the be must surely instinct,what by if as has, he Fashion, of lures wiseacresanddisregarding the by how all,us shows gunsand his to stuck hasHistorian ‘ wrote: death, his before years E Winter were accepted for the David pseudonym the under submitted him by paintings painting, Marrakech, of View President to 1943 his gave He war. of days dark theMarrakech during the bright light of Morocco and managed to escape to some still lifes. Winston particularly enjoyed painting and Mediterranean the of views also but landscapes local left it. National cottages on the estate. Now in the possession of the helped build some walls and tile the roof of one of the expanse of scenery. Winston, who enjoyed bricklaying, sided aspect from which they could gaze over the huge three-a bedroom had above,her and room,their sitting modern, light-filled home. they saw as a dark and dreary Victorian house into a the architect Philip of help the with and, Weald Kent the over beautifulview Walk (right) at Chartwell House Chartwell at (right) Walk Butterfly the and (above) study Churchill’s eaverbrook offered £150,000 for all Churchill’s paintings, paintings, Churchill’s all for £150,000 offered eaverbrook xhibition. Augustus John, seeing Churchill’s work a few few a work Churchill’s seeing John, Augustus xhibition. In the late 1950s, newspaper proprietor Lord B THE LADY THE LADY ut ut what of his reputation as an artist? In two1947, T he he studio walls are covered with his colourful T rust, the house remains much as the Churchills Churchills the as much remains house the rust, 2 N 2 O V E T MBER 2018 MBER ilden, ilden, set about remodelling what T he Churchills insisted on O R ur oyal Academy S tatesman, Artistand tatesman, 1924 (above) (above) 1924 Clementine, with (left); 1945 studio, his in paints Churchill Winston Sir R oosevelt. S ummer Churchill has reached anew generation’ has reached Churchill Winston about everything in ‘Interest Pool at Chartwell fetched £1.5m. £1.5m. Chartwell fetched at Pool of selected items from her estate. His picture Goldfish some of his paintings were included in a Mary daughter his of death theAfter victory. to led he when born even weren’t who generation new in everything about Winston Churchill has reached a two shillings a piece’. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell 01732-868381, 2019: March 1 on reopens House Chartwell 2019. Unicorn, priced £25 Houses and Gardens by Stefan Buczacki is published byChurchill’s Story of Untold The Chartwell: Blenheimto From as a Pastime is published by Unicorn Press, priced £7.99. Painting Bloomsbury,bypublishedpriced is£25. Cannadine ◆ is apolicy first of importance man’. public to a Churchill was adamant that ‘the cultivation of a hobby politics. outside interests or hobbies have don’t they that £230,000.for landscapeshis of one sell to managedstill house auction an 2017, in but value, exceptional it gave ownership The Dining Room at Chartwell with Diana Churchill Diana with Chartwell at Room Dining The ◆ Churchill: The Statesman as Artist edited by David The Studio at Chartwell is open all year round, except January January except round, year all open is Chartwell at Studio The T oday, people mourn that politicians lack ‘hinterland’, ‘hinterland’, lack politicians that mourn people oday, B unknown date bricklaying, Churchill eaverbrook eaverbrook was wrong. Interest T he subject matter and matter subject he S otheby’s sale ■ S oames, B E ritain ritain ssex GETTY; NATIOnal TRUST ImagES; PainTingS REPRODUCED wiTH kind PERmiSSION OF CHURchill HERITagE LTD © CHURchill HERITagE LTD. ImagES middlE TOP ROW and all BOTTOM ROW TakEN FROM BlEnhEim TO ChaRTWEll: ThE UnTOld STORY OF CHURchill’S HOUSES and GARDENS BY STEfan BUCZacki .