Winston Churchill and painting is a topic that has already attracted the attention of historians and art historians. Several monographs and a large number of articles are devoted to it. Winston Churchill was, by his own admission, already in “old age” when he first began to draw and found this occupation “an amazing and enriching experience.” The politician created for his life more than 500 canvases (544 [1] appear in the most comprehensive modern catalogs), some of which were presented at exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts . He also wrote an essay entitled “Painting as a Pastime” and a large article “ Hobbies ”, revealing the role of painting in his life and Churchill’s perception of the fine arts [2] .
Currently, most of Churchill's paintings are in private collections or belong to the descendants of the politician himself. Part of the paintings belong to the National Fund of Great Britain . Two works are on display in Churchill's memorial office at a Cambridge college [3] . Individual paintings were included in the collections of the Royal Academy of Arts, the Tate Gallery in London , the Museum of Art in Dallas , the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and the Metropolitan Museum in New York [4] .
Historiography
A major article on Churchill's works in 1965 was published by the great art historian Ernst Gombrich . The article was titled "The Artist and Critic." In it, Gombrich puts Churchill's theoretical works (in which he rises to the level of a professional) higher than his paintings (in which he remains at the level of an amateur) [5] . The first book devoted to the picturesque works of Winston Churchill, “Winston Churchill: His Paintings” ( Eng. “Churchill: His Paintings” ) was published in 1967. Its author was David Combs in collaboration with the second wife of the son of politics-artist Randolph Spencer-Churchill . The book included 504 reproductions of paintings [6] . In this book, Combs first published a fairly complete catalog of Churchill's paintings with a description of their subjects and where they were in at the time of publication of the catalog [7] [5] . The youngest daughter of politician Mary Soames published a book in 1990 entitled “Winston Churchill: His Life as an Artist” ( Eng. “Winston Churchill: His Life as a Painter” ) [8] .
Churchill explorer David Combs co-authored with his wife the grandson of politician Minnie Churchill in 2003 published the book Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings ( eng. Sir Winston Churchill: His Life and His Paintings ) [9] . The granddaughter of politics and the artist and sculptor Edwina Sandys in 2015 published the book “Winston Churchill: A Passion for Painting” ( eng. “Winston Churchill: A Passion For Painting” ) [10] .
Russian historian, journalist, and economist Dmitry Medvedev devoted an entire chapter VI, “The Muse of the Artist,” to the politician’s practice of painting, in the book Winston Churchill: Private Life, which was published in 2008 [11] . In another book, Winston Churchill. Strength. Influence Will ”(published in 2016) he devoted to this topic chapter IV“ Travel, problems and hobbies ” [12] . The Soviet and Russian philosopher and cultural scientist Vyacheslav Shestakov devoted this chapter to the chapter “Churchill as an artist” in the book “Winston Churchill. Intellectual portrait ”, which was published in 2011 [13] .
In 1968, preparations were made for the shooting of a short film dedicated to Churchill the artist. The archive of the British Tate Gallery preserved the narration for this film, which was written by its director John Rothenstein [14] . The artist and art historian Andrew Marr in 2018 filmed a TV program for the BBC channel on this Churchill hobby [15] .
The book “My Father Winston Churchill. 1001 deficiencies of genius ”, whose author is Sarah Churchill, who allegedly bequeathed to publish her memories of her father only 30 years after her death (she died in 1982). One of the chapters of the book is called Churchill the Artist. In oblivion. In the output of the book, the edition in English from which the translation was made and the data on the translator itself are not indicated [16] .
The history of the study of Winston Churchill painting
Winston Churchill's mother is known to be fond of drawing. One of her works she sent to the exhibition of the Irish Society of Fine Arts [17] .
Childhood and adolescence
Churchill's daughter Mary Soames insisted that in the early years there was not even a hint of Winston's presence as an artist's talent [18] .
It is known that while studying at the preparatory school of St. George in Ascot Churchill decorated his letters to his mother with illustrations. Churchill spent some time at the Thomson School of Sisters in Brighton . As an adult, he recalled that he enjoyed very much at this time, considering the cartoons in Punch magazine. Going to Harrow High School , Churchill chose drawing as an additional discipline. He later claimed that he had been studying for one and a half hours a week, and was trying to get another hour of extra classes with the army class. According to his calculations, the drawing was supposed to bring him 1,200 points on exams. The young man noted with satisfaction that he had already learned how to paint landscapes . When he entered the cavalry class at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (he managed to enter only on the third attempt because of low scores), Churchill scored 339 points out of a possible 500 on the drawing exam. [19]
It is known that young Winston read the book "Creating Sketches" with interest, and as a war correspondent for the Daily Graphic newspaper in 1895 in Cuba , he decorated his articles with his own drawings of battles and landscapes [20] .
The transformation of painting into a hobby (1915 - 30s)
In 1915, the Dardanelles operation , initiated by Churchill, ended in failure. After that, he was transferred from the post of First Lord of the Admiralty to a minor post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster . To restore the lost emotional balance, Winston Churchill and his wife moved to the Howe Farm country house in the village of Hascombe near Godalming , which they rented for the summer. Churchill walked with a detached look on the lawns, muttered this and that, gesticulating, talking to an invisible interlocutor. The wife of his brother Jack Gwendelin was fond of watercolor at this time. On June 12, she suggested that Winston take up painting. Churchill made several strokes and unexpectedly became fascinated with drawing [21] [22] . Churchill himself stated: “Having reached the age of forty, I have never once turned to the help of a brush or pencil, I had previously looked at the process of creating a painting as a special secret.” Gwenedelin gave Churchill a set of a young artist who belonged to her six-year-old son however, Churchill wanted to paint in oils [23] .
On June 25, 1915, in London, Winston purchased an easel , canvases , turpentine , and oil paints , practically emptying the Piccadilly specialty shop [24] [22] . Another describes this event Shestakov. In his presentation, Churchill's wife, Clementine , acquired all that was necessary the very next day after her husband's first experience in watercolor (that is, June 13) [25] . Churchill described his first oil painting experience as follows:
“I began to mix colors very shyly. A thin tassel struck blue and, with a great deal of apprehension, whitened a white, oily line. I made a call, a well thought out call, but so timid and indecisive, full of stupor and hesitation, that it is not worthy of even a simple mention. Suddenly I heard the sound of an approaching car. It was the wife of the artist Sir John Lavery.
- - Painting, and what are you afraid! Give me a brush, no, no more.
Slap in turpentine, in the palette - white, blue, then some violent strokes on the canvas. It was irresistible. No dark force could resist the passionate pressure of Lady Lavery. Only the canvas grinned helplessly before us. All charms have evaporated, all complexes have disappeared. I grabbed the biggest brush and pounced on my victim with terrible fury. Never again did I feel timidity in front of the canvas. ”
- Dmitry Medvedev. Churchill: Private life [26]
Currently, there are four landscapes of Winston Churchill, created by him in 1915 during his stay at Howe Farm (in the Combs catalog: C146, C148, C149 and C28) [27] .
External images | |
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Winston Churchill's paintings in various genres | |
Self-portrait, 1920 . | |
Flowers in a green vase, circa 1930 . | |
Kutubia Mosque, 1943 . | |
Tapestry depicting the Duke of Marlborough in Blenheim, circa 1930 . | |
First performance by Mary, circa 1929 . |
Churchill turned his painting classes in nature into theater performances. Gardeners carried for him a canvas and a frame , brushes and a palette , tubes and palette knife . They were followed by Winston, dressed in a white tick coat, in a light wide-brimmed hat and with a cigar in his mouth. He chose a place to work and indicated a place to install an umbrella to protect from the sun. After that, he released his servants and worked alone [28] .
Churchill drew attention to the fact that, while painting, he forgets about politics. He said: "Sometimes I am ready to give up almost everything for the sake of painting." In early 1916, Churchill, with the rank of major, went to the front, where he commanded the 6th battalion of the Royal Scottish Riflemen . During the service, he created four paintings - three in the line of fire and one in the shelter. In May 1916, Churchill returned to London . Easels, paints and canvases accompanied Winston on trips. A studio was set up in each house that Churchilli was filming for a time [29] . In September 1927, as Minister of Finance, Churchill in the Scottish royal residence Balmoral painted a graveyard of St. Paul's Cathedral from a photograph. At the request of King George V, he gave the picture to a local charity, which put it up for auction. The painting was sold for 120 pounds [30] .
Until that time, when he started painting himself, Winston had practically never been to museums. Now the wife of Clementine led him to the London National Gallery . Churchill stood for half an hour before one picture, carefully studying the technique of its creation. The next day he went to the museum again, but the cautious spouse insisted on another entrance to the museum in order to exclude viewing of the picture that had so long attracted the attention of her husband [31] . In Paris, he fell under the spell of the paintings of the Impressionists , finding that their paintings were full of the joy of life [18] .
In March 1921, during the Cairo Conference Winston, sitting on a camel, fell to the ground. Despite a lacerated wound, he made several sketches of the Sahara . Churchill was unpopular among the Egyptians. He was thrown stones, met with swearing. Churchill defiantly sat in the middle of the street and began to draw, not paying attention to the threats [32] .
Churchill modestly evaluated his achievements in painting for a long time. He was suspicious of the praises. In 1921, the politician sent several of his paintings to an exhibition in the Parisian Drouet Gallery on Korolevskaya Street under the pseudonym of Charles Moraine. Six of them were sold. The riddle, according to the researchers, is a pseudonym used by Churchill. Charles Camille Moran ( Fr. Charles Camille Morin , 1849-1919), whose name he used, is a real, not a fictional French landscape painter who passed away two years before this exhibition [33] . In 1925, at the exhibition of non-professional artists held in Sunderlandhaus on Kurzon Street, Winston's work “Winter Sunshine” (C142) took first place (all works were presented anonymously). The jury included patron Joseph Devin, eminent art historian Kenneth Clark , the future director of the National Gallery in London, and artist Oswald Birley . Surprised by the high artistic merit of the painting, Devin expressed the suspicion that “Winter Sunshine” was painted by a professional [34] . The award to the winner was to be a picture of Oswald Birley, but Churchill, due to unknown circumstances, never received it. In compensation, 20 years later, Birley wrote a portrait of the daughter of politician Mary [35] .
“Goldfish Pond at Chartwell” (1932)
Churchill's canvas "A pond with goldfish in Chartwell "( Eng. " The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell " ) was written in 1932. The picture is made with oil on canvas, its size is 63.5 by 76.5 centimeters. The painting belonged to the youngest daughter of the artist Mary, for a long time she occupied a place of honor above the fireplace in the living room in the West House mansion. Sotheby's art historians called it the culmination of the artist's work. During the life of the author, the picture was repeatedly demonstrated at exhibitions: in London in 1948 (the Royal Academy of Arts), in Kansas City ( Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art ), followed by a tour of the cities of the United States, Canada and Australia in 1959 year The picture was exhibited after his death (London, M. Knoedler & Co Gallery , 1977; London, Wylma Wayne Fine Art Gallery , 1982, other exhibitions). The detail of the image processing is unparalleled in Churchill's work, the brush enlivened the water surface, depicted the dynamic interaction of light, reflection and movement with great skill. The canvas was sold at Sotheby ’s auction for 1,762,500 pounds sterling in December 2014 (December 17, lot 181) [36] .
During World War II (September 1939 - August 1945), Churchill practically ceased his painting exercises [37] . The picture (C381), written by Churchill in January 1943 at the Taylor villa in Marrakesh , overlooking the Atlas Mountains , according to the official biographer of the politician Martin Gilbert , became the only one in all six years of war. Churchill gave it to Franklin Delano Roosevelt [38] .
Period after World War II
In 1945, after resigning from his post as head of government, Winston again began to devote much time to painting. In September 1945, he will go to Italy , where he settled at the Villa de la Rosa. Churchill's personal physician describes Winston's mood like this: “When Winston found the right look to capture it on canvas, he would sit down and work for five hours, with brushes in his hands, only occasionally being distracted to correct his sombrero , which constantly falls on his eyebrows.” In just twenty-five days of the Italian vacation, Winston created fifteen paintings [39] [40] . One evening, he decided to correct the picture that belonged to the owner of the villa, according to Churchill, dull and lifeless. The Englishman added bright and light tones to it. The picture was inserted into the frame and placed in its former place, evoking the delight of casual viewers [41] .
In 1947, Winston sent two paintings "Winter Sunshine" in 1924 and "River Loop , Maritime Alps ”of 1936 (C352, the painting is currently presented in the British Tate Gallery [35] ) for an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. They were signed by the pseudonym David Winter. The paintings were approved for display at the exhibition, and in 1948 the author was granted the title of Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Arts. A diploma signed by King George VІ said: “This unique appointment was made possible thanks to the permanent service of our Kingdom and its people, as well as your achievements in the art of painting” [42] .
In 1950, Churchill's twelve paintings were presented anonymously at the Sunday brunch of the American Association of Art Museum Museums. In 1952, Churchill's painting " Tapestry in Blenheim ", was presented at the exhibition "Life in Britain: from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II ". Churchill's work has been exhibited in Europe, Canada , USA , Australia and Japan . In early 1958, Winston received a proposal from President Dwight Eisenhower to hold a solo exhibition in the United States [43] . It included 35 works and opened in Kansas City , Missouri . January 21, the opening day, it was visited by 5,427 people, and in total over half a million people. The exhibition has visited seven US cities, as well as Toronto , Montreal , Fredericton and Vancouver , Canberra , Sydney , Brisbane , Melbourne , Gobarta , Adelaide and Perth , as well as in four cities in New Zealand . The first solo exhibition in the UK was held in 1959 in the London Diploma Gallery. The exhibition, which was held under the patronage of the Royal Academy of Arts, presented 62 works of Winston [4] . Only in the last days of the exhibition, 141,000 people visited it [44] .
Churchill's bodyguard from 1950 to 1965, Edmund Murray was an amateur artist. It was he who Winston trusted to take photos of the landscapes for his paintings. Churchill's valet Norman McGowan recalled: “He often bought high-quality photographs in France and Italy, these were various buildings, trees, and other objects that impressed him. In addition, we also took color photographs in order to use them to recreate the color palette on some cloudy, rainy day in England. Many of the paintings painted by Winston during the holidays were no more than sketches and sketches, the coloring itself took place, as a rule, weeks or months later in the studio ” [45] . In the last years of his life he painted less and less, until he completely stopped painting in 1962. His bodyguard Sergeant Edmund Murray (1916–1996), who guarded Winston Churchill from 1950 to 1965, helped him to install an easel and prepare brushes. Murray recalled that the last time Sir Winston was painting was at Chartwell around 1962. [46]
“Goldfish Pond at Chartwell” (1962)
In the catalog of Churchill's works “The Pond with Goldfish in Chartwell” of 1962 is No. C544. Oil painting on canvas, its size - 40 to 50.5 centimeters. The goldfish pool was one of Churchill’s favorite places in Chartwell. Located near the house, it was surrounded by shrubs; bamboo , hydrangea , cotoneaster grew here. In this place Churchill often indulged in contemplation. His granddaughter, Emma Soumes, recalled the Sunday ritual: the grandchildren followed the grandfather to the pond to see how he was feeding the goldfish. Churchill tapped with a cane, beckoning the fish, and then told the children about the dangers that lurked under natural conditions. Winston's daughter Mary Soames recalled that there were up to a thousand goldfish in the pond [46] .
Unlike many other Churchill landscapes made in Chartwell, which show a panorama of gardens, this picture is unusual in that the artist was located directly near the reservoir and depicted it in close-up. The picture combines many shades of green and brown paint with golden yellow and orange, it is close to abstract painting [1] . Churchill depicted the same pond in his 1932 canvas, which was previously in the collection of his daughter Mary [46] .
This 1962 painting is the last painting Churchill ever wrote. The picture was donated by the author to bodyguard Murray and was owned by his heirs until November 2017, when she was sold at Sotheby’s auction for £ 357,000 (November 21, lot 11, this amount includes fees and taxes, the original price was only 50,000— 80,000 [47] ) [46] .
Theoretical work
In 1921, Churchill wrote the article “Painting as a Pastime” for Strand Magazine , which was published in the December issue in 1921 and January in 1922 (the author’s fee was £ 1,000 at that time incredible at that time) [49] . Culturologist Shestakov notes that the sources of thoughts developed in the treatise were conversations with the artist Karl Montag, his own impressions from visiting museums and the treatises of John Ruskin , which the author of the essay then studied. The artist, whose work caused the greatest admiration of the author of the essay, was William Turner [48] . In 1924, as Minister of Finance, Churchill for Nash's pall mall magazine wrote an article "Hobbies." In 1926, the American magazine Cosmopolitan , which, like Nash's pall mall magazine , was the property of William Randolph Hearst , published this article in an abbreviated version under the long title “When life tires me, I turn to a hobby”. In 1929, the original text of the article “Painting as a pastime” was published in the collection “One hundred best English essays”. In 1930, the full version of "Hobby" was published in the Sunday Chronicle under the heading "Human Hobbies". In 1932, the articles "Hobbies" and "Painting as a pastime" were included in an abbreviated form in the collection "Thoughts and Adventures". The publications of the 1930s were connected with the complicated financial situation of the family. After losing the position of Treasury Chancellor, Churchill was formally unemployed (except for deputy activities in the lower house of parliament) [49] .
Of interest, from the point of view of cultural studies, are Churchill's speeches delivered at banquets of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1927, 1932, 1938 and 1953. Twice he touched on the topic of relations between politics and art, and he even titled “Political Painting” in 1932. In it, he presented the current British politicians as artists belonging to different trends [50] .
At the end of 1945, Churchill received a proposal from the publishing house Time Life write for 75 thousand dollars a series of articles devoted to painting, but he refused in connection with the complex taxation system on the literary works of the current politician [51] .
In 1946, both of his articles were again published in Strand Magazine . In 1948 they were combined into a book and published under the name “Painting as a pastime”. The book was a success, was repeatedly republished, soon translations were made into French, German, Finnish and Japanese (the Russian translation is now published [52] ). For a long time only abridged versions of the author's text were published. The full edition (for the first time since the 1920s) was carried out in 2003 by David Combs in the book “The Life of Sir Winston Churchill through His Painting” [53] .
The articles contain personal impressions of the author, his reflections on painting and oil painting techniques. Churchill carried out the relationship between painting and military art. In both cases, in his opinion, a plan is created (in the case of painting, proportions and color ratios are predetermined). Churchill tried to determine the ratio within the trinity of the artist, painting and nature, to analyze the place of visual memory in the life of a creative person [54] . In his opinion, the signal received by the artist’s eye several seconds earlier while contemplating a real object is transferred onto the canvas. During this time, it is encoded in the language of painting. A cryptogram falls on the canvas, which the spectator is to decipher [55] .
Features of creativity
Among the artists who had the most significant influence on the formation of Winston Churchill's creative style: British John Lavery , Walter Richard Sickert , William Nicholson and Frenchman Paul Lucien Maz (1887-1979). Churchill often worked in the London studio Lavery, creating there, for example, his own self-portrait. Laveri noted in Churchill "a deep understanding of the light and more than confident mastery of basic techniques." In 1919, Laveri painted his own portrait, painted by Churchill in 1915, and presented to the exhibition of the Royal Society of Portraitists . It was the first public exhibition at which Churchill's painting was exhibited [56] . Churchill wrote:
“Before I tried to draw, I had no idea how much the landscape could tell,” he shared his impressions, “His colors became more saturated for me, more important and more distinguishable. I began to notice that, walking, I already instinctively paid attention to the colors of the leaf, reflections in puddles, fabulous purple outlines of mountains, perfect forms of winter branches, and a smoky outline of a distant horizon. I already paid attention to all these things, but now they have acquired a new meaning for me. My mind, driven by interest and fantasy, began to pick up impressions of much finer details. And each such impression was a pleasure and benefit. ”
- Dmitry Medvedev. Churchill: Private life [57]
Lavery highly appreciated the ability of his pupil and his intuition: “where my experienced eye showed difficulties, he, with his inherent freedom, fearlessly overcame them and showed me what had to be done” [58] . A sharp cooling of relations between them occurred when Lavery was fascinated by politics and began to advocate the complete separation of Ireland from Great Britain [59] .
Great influence on Churchill had a British artist Walter Richard Sickert. Sickert was one of the closest friends of the mother of Churchill's wife, Lady Blanche Hozier, and met her at the turn of the century. In 1927 there was an accident with Clementine. Sickert came to visit Clementine, whom he knew as a teenager, and met Churchill. Over time, they became close friends. Sickert taught Winston some elements of the work on the canvas: to prepare the canvas, to prime it, to use several levels for applying monochrome tones, to use photographs projected on the canvas, when creating the picture according to Panathier's method (Churchill's friend Professor Frederick Lindemann gave him good camera). Researchers note the strong influence of Sickert in the portraits of Churchill of the 20s [60] [61] . However, it is noted that the paintings made in this technique are the weakest in Churchill's work. All of them are made in shades of gray and brown and are devoid of the color play that is generally characteristic of a politician's work [62] . Shestakov notes the specifics of the transfer of knowledge Sickert Churchill - the artist in the letters of instruction described in detail the techniques of oil painting, while he was a regular guest of Churchill's mansion and made useful comments about the paintings, which his pupil worked on at that time, orally. In 1927, Churchill painted the painting “The Lesson of Painting of Mr. Sickert”, in the lower part of which Sickert's pencil marks were preserved, outlining the composition of the canvas [63]
A serious influence on the development of Churchill's creative manner was rendered by the French artist Paul Maz (sometimes the English version of his last name, Maze, is used, since he lived in Great Britain for a long time). They met in 1916, when Maz was a communications sergeant for British troops [64] . Contemporaries said that once, when Winston was going to work on the landscape, Paul Maz and three other professional artists were present. Churchill distributed fragments of the canvas between them, taking over the overall leadership of the collective project and taking part himself in its implementation. The result of the efforts of the five artists was the collective picture “In the Park of the Chateau St. George-Motel”, which Churchill presented to his butler (C355). In 1966, at Sotheby’s auction, it was sold for £ 500, and already in 1977, at the same auction, it was resold for £ 3,500. [65]
In 1933, Churchill met the artist William Newzam Prior Nicholson. The artist often visited politics, made sketches of members of his family and manor. Churchill himself said: "I think that the person who taught me the most painting was William Nicholson" [66] . Another Swiss artist Karl Montag Churchill drove through small French private galleries, introducing the works of the Impressionists. He introduced the novice artist also with some techniques of oil painting and the basic principles of modern art history, and, as Shestakov suggests, inspired him to his own theoretical works in the field of painting [67] .
Mary Soames insisted that a private collection of paintings by Sir Philip Sassoun had a smaller impact on Churchill . Sassoon was a friend and patron of John Singer Sargent and the owner of several of his paintings. Winston admired these works, so Philip Sassoon removed them from the wall and provided Churchill with a copy. The influence of Sargent's work can be seen in the best paintings of Winston in the late 20s [18] .
In addition to the large number of landscapes, Churchill's paintings include sketches of interiors , still lifes , images of flowers and portraits [18] . Churchill explained his preference for oil paints in this way (Churchill's secretary Jane Portal once mentions work done in tempera [68] , and Medvedev refers to a short-term passion for tempera by the end of the 1940s [69] ):
“First, you can easily fix any mistake. One stroke of the palette knife and all the blood and tears of the morning were removed from the canvas, giving you the opportunity to start all over again. Secondly, you can approach your problem from different directions. You do not need to move from light to dark tones. You can start with quite modest pastel shades and then, when you feel the need, turn to more vivid colors. Finally, the substance itself is so easily manageable. You can put layer by layer, experiment, change your plan depending on time or weather conditions. And always remember, in case of failure, it is in your power to scrape everything off and start over. ”
- Dmitry Medvedev. Churchill: Private life [70]
Often Churchill used photographs to prepare the composition of the future picture [45] . To achieve similarity, he sometimes used a device called an epidiascope , which projects a photo onto a canvas [71] . Working in the open air , Churchill usually created only sketches, and the main work on the canvas began after weeks or months in the studio [45] . Boris Johnson noted the artist’s love for color according to the principle “the brighter and juicier the better.” In his paintings, the pink wall of the palace and the ruins of ocher , the azure sky, the snow-capped mountain peaks, dark green cypress trees , lush lawns, bright blue skies are combined ... [72]
For thirty years, Thomson, Churchill's guard officer, claimed that Winston began painting from early morning and continued with a short break for lunch until seven in the evening [73] . Since the second half of the 1950s, Winston began to give pictures to friends and family. Once he admitted: “My paintings are too bad to sell, and too expensive to just donate to other hands” [74] . Among those who received the paintings were a gift from the author: Queen Elizabeth II, US Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and General George Marshall . In addition, Churchill personally selected one picture in order to give each of his ten grandchildren [75] .
Some art critics attribute the work of politics to realism , but note the significant influence of impressionism [76] . Shestakov, on the contrary, notes a certain closeness of Churchill's post-impressionism , but emphasizes in his works the pronounced traditions of impressionism [77] .
A number of art critics considered painting politics only a means of relaxation, denying him high artistic merit. Historian Robert Payne argued that Churchill never got portraits. In his opinion, Winston was inspired by landscapes, and man had no meaning for him. When depicting people, he used a few careless strokes, they served only as an addition to the landscape. Art historian Denis Sutton believed that Churchill reached only the level of an amateur. Eric Newman believed that the individual works of the artist are amazing, but in his work there is no magic inherent in really large artists [78] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Hussain, 2018 .
- ↑ Irish, 2017 .
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 95
- ↑ 1 2 Medvedev, 2008 , p. 315-316.
- ↑ 1 2 Shestakov, 2011 , p. 93.
- ↑ Сoombs, Spencer-Churchill, 1967 , p. 1-272.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 289.
- ↑ Soames, 1990 , p. 1-224.
- ↑ Сoombs, Churchill, 2003 , p. 1-256.
- ↑ Sandys, 2015 , p. 1-128.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 269–322.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 432-577.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 83–95.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 90.
- ↑ Marr, Andrew. Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat and Oil Paint . BBC (Mar 19, 2018). The appeal date is June 2, 2018.
- ↑ Churchill, 2014 , p. 83-98.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 538.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Soames, Mary. Winston Churchill the Painter. Annual Meetings of the Sir Winston S. Churchill Society Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, Canada May 1989. . The Churchill Center Inc ..
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 277-278.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 540.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 276.
- ↑ 1 2 Bedarida, 2011 , p. 117.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 278.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 279.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 85.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 279-280.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 534.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 281.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 283–284.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 285.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 86
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 286.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 558.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 299-301.
- ↑ 1 2 Medvedev, 2016 , p. 559.
- ↑ Sir Winston Churchill. The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell. 1932. . Sotheby's (December 17, 2014). The appeal date is June 2, 2018.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 302.
- ↑ Gilbert, 2015 , p. 881.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 307.
- ↑ Gilbert, 2015 , p. 1028.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 313.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 310
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 313-314.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 317.
- ↑ 1 2 3 Medvedev, 2008 , p. 299.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Sir Winston Churchill. The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell. 1962. . Sotheby's (November 21, 2017). The appeal date is June 2, 2018.
- Ston Winston Churchill's final piece of artwork SMASHES auction estimate as £ 357k. (English) // Daily Express : Newspaper. - 2017. - 22 November.
- ↑ 1 2 Shestakov, 2011 , p. 84
- ↑ 1 2 Medvedev, 2008 , p. 287-288.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 86-89.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 308-309.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 123-143.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 288–289.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 289-290.
- ↑ Bedarida, 2011 , p. 119.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 280.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 280–281.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 78
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 79-80.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 296-297.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 548-549.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 548.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 82
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 297.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 549.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 298.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 78-80.
- ↑ Gilbert, 2015 , p. 1096.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2016 , p. 551.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 278-279.
- ↑ Johnson, 2015 , p. 316.
- ↑ Johnson, 2015 , p. 317.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 311.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 318.
- Paintings The Paintings of Sir Winston Churchill on Heather James Fine Art. Art Daily (2018). The appeal date is June 4, 2018.
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 315, 317.
- ↑ Shestakov, 2011 , p. 80
- ↑ Medvedev, 2008 , p. 321.
Links
- Robbins, Ron Cynewulf. The Artist Winston Churchill - Half Passion, Half Philosophy . National Churchill Museum.
- 165 Winston Churchill's Works of Art . Museum Syndicate: Experience Art and History.
Literature
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- Medvedev, Dmitry Lvovich. Travel, problems and hobbies. // Winston Churchill. Strength. Influence Will .. - M: RIPOL Classic, 2016. - P. 432-577. - 880 s. - 5000 copies - ISBN 978-55386-0963-11.
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