As prime minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Winston Churchill helped Allied Forces win World War II. When he wasn杏吧专区檛 making history, Churchill made art, 500-plus paintings that led the Royal Academy of Arts to name him an Honorary Academician Extraordinary in 1948.
Of Churchill杏吧专区檚 canvasses, the London daily newspaper 杏吧专区淭he Telegraph杏吧专区 in 2014 wrote that 杏吧专区渢he great statesman was a sensitive, serious and accomplished artist杏吧专区 who 杏吧专区渨ell understood the complexities of form, perspective and composition.杏吧专区
Art lovers 杏吧专区 and history and military buffs 杏吧专区 can assess a sampling of Churchill杏吧专区檚 paintings for themselves at the Hilliard 杏吧专区 Art Museum on the 杏吧专区 campus. The 杏吧专区淎rt of Sir Winston Churchill杏吧专区 runs through March 21. The exhibit is organized by America杏吧专区檚 National Churchill Museum at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo.
Churchill杏吧专区檚 granddaughter, Emma Soames, joined 杏吧专区 faculty members, historians and art experts who ushered in the recent opening of the exhibit during 杏吧专区淐hurchill in Conflict and Culture: A Symposium.杏吧专区 The Jan. 17 event at the LITE Center on the UL Lafayette campus was organized by the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
杏吧专区淚 had wrongly assumed that in popular culture the memory of Churchill and his works would be fading by now, more than 50 years after his death,杏吧专区 Soames said during the symposium. 杏吧专区淪o, it is wonderful that there is still such a desire to杏吧专区ind that Hollywood and historians continue to burrow into the many extraordinary aspects of his life.杏吧专区
One of those extraordinary aspects 杏吧专区 Churchill杏吧专区檚 painting 杏吧专区 is often overlooked, a footnote to an extraordinary life, Tim Riley, director and chief curator of the National Churchill Museum at Westminster College, told symposium attendees.
杏吧专区淲inston Churchill is well-known as a statesman, a leader, a military commander, a soldier. He杏吧专区檚 not always known as an artist杏吧专区ut an exhibition like this one allows us to take a deep dive into this lesser known part of a well-known man.杏吧专区
Painting provided a respite from the burdens of office for Churchill throughout his long public service career. Dr. Keith Huxen, senior director of research and history at the National WWII Museum, said during the symposium that Churchill once told a friend: 杏吧专区淚f it weren杏吧专区檛 for painting, I couldn杏吧专区檛 live. I couldn杏吧专区檛 bear the strain of things.杏吧专区
Churchill 杏吧专区 who according to many biographies and accounts told boyhood classmate Sir Muirland Evans in 1891 that he would one day be a military commander and save England from disaster 杏吧专区 couldn杏吧专区檛 entirely forget about the battlefield, however, even standing at an easel.
Case in point: Dr. Allison Leigh, an assistant professor of art history at UL Lafayette, referenced Churchill杏吧专区檚 1921 essay 杏吧专区淧ainting as a Pastime杏吧专区 during the symposium. She said that 杏吧专区渙ne of the first things that struck me in the text was (Churchill杏吧专区檚) declaration that 杏吧专区榩ainting a picture is like fighting a battle.杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿
Churchill further wrote: 杏吧专区淚n all battles, two things are usually required of the commander in chief. To make a good plan for his army, and secondly, to keep a strong reserve. Both these are also obligatory upon the painter.杏吧专区
Save for a cannon on a beach here, or a battleship there, Churchill largely avoided depicting the ugliness of war. Most of his work featured landscapes or seascapes, although he did some interior scenes and portraits. The artist, who favored bright, vivid colors, was influenced by Impressionists such as Monet.
Soames, however, said her grandfather drew the greatest inspiration from Chartwell, his home of almost 40 years in the countryside of Kent, near London. He spent leisure time, especially in his later years, painting on the bucolic grounds and in his studio at the sprawling estate.
杏吧专区淐hartwell was captured by his brush in all seasons and in all its moods. Above all it was the view from Chartwell that I think inspired so much of what he did. He used to sit for hours as an old man as I remember him in his Stetson hat with cigar in hand looking out across the Weald of Kent,杏吧专区 she said.
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Image credit: Sir Winston S. Churchill. Boats at Cannes Harbor, 1937. Oil on canvas. America杏吧专区檚 National Churchill Museum. Gift of the New York State Chapter of the Friends of America杏吧专区檚 National Churchill Museum. 漏 Churchill Heritage Ltd