While in London, — On Tuesday, in Churchill's birthplace, a painting of the British leader—created by an artist whose work the prime minister despised—was put on display in anticipation of its June auction.
An episode from the TV series "The Crown" recounts how modernist artist Graham Sutherland painted this smaller version of a larger portrait that Churchill despised and had destroyed.
One of the oil-on-canvas studies that has survived depicts Churchill's profile head set against a black backdrop. At Sotheby's in London on June 6, it is anticipated to sell for a price ranging from 500,000 to 800,000 pounds ($622,000 to $995,000).
On his 80th birthday in 1954, the Houses of Parliament commissioned Sutherland to paint Churchill in commemoration. Churchill sarcastically referred to the full-length painting as "a remarkable example of modern art" when it was unveiled in Parliament that year.
In a remark that "makes me look half-witted, which I ain't," Churchill allegedly protested the picture. Upon arrival at his residence, it vanished without a trace. After some time had passed, the Churchills revealed that it had been destroyed.
A scene from "The Crown" depicts Clementine, Churchill's wife, seeing the artwork burn in an episode that creatively reimagines its demise.
The surviving work, according to Andre Zlattinger, head of modern British and Irish art at Sotheby's, "gives the impression of a man truly concerned with his image" due to "Churchill is caught in a moment of absent-minded thoughtfulness" and the "backstory of its creation."
At Blenheim Palace, a country estate sixty miles (100 kilometers) northwest of London, where Churchill was born 150 years ago, Sotheby's placed the image on public display within the room. Guests are welcome to view it till Sunday. It will be on display at the New York and London Sotheby's offices from May 3–16 and May 25–June 5, respectively.
stay turned for development