Sir Winston Churchill, K.G., O.M., F.R.S., HON. R.A.

The Artist and thence by descent to his daughter Mary

David Coombs, Churchill: His Paintings, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1967, cat. no.269, illustrated p.182;
David Coombs and Minnie S. Churchill, Sir Winston Churchill's Life through his Paintings, Chaucer Press, London, 2003, cat. no.C269, illustrated p.61;
David Coombs and Minnie S. Churchill, Sir Winston Churchill His Life and His Paintings, Ware House Publishing, Lyme Regis, 2011, cat. no.C269, illustrated p.61.

Condition report prepared by Hamish Dewar, November 2014. Structural Condition The canvas has been lined onto what would appear to be the original keyed wooden stretcher. This is ensuring a secure and stable structural support. There are various lines of drying craquelure which have been secured by the lining process, as well as a horizontal line running across the centre of the composition which would appear to be craquelure caused by the canvas having been at some stage folded. This line of craquelure is visible in natural light but is entirely secure and stable. Paint Surface The paint surface has a rather discoloured varnish layer and should benefit considerably from cleaning. The horizontal line across the centre of the composition mentioned above could be reduced with careful filling and retouching so as not to be visually distracting. Inspection under ultra-violet light confirms how discoloured the varnish layers have become and also shows a line of retouching along the horizontal fold and a further line of inpainting running in from the lower right vertical framing edge which is approximately 12 cm above the lower horizontal framing edge and covers a secondary line of craquelure. There are other small scattered retouchings. All these retouchings appear to be larger than is really necessary and I would be confident that if they were to be removed during the cleaning process and replaced with more minimal inpainting, the total amount of retouching could be considerably reduced, as could the visual effect of the lines of craquelure. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in essentially good and stable condition and should respond very well to cleaning, restoration and revarnishing. The work is displayed in an ornate carved and gilded frame. Please contact the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

We are grateful to David Coombs for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.

‘[Winston] had taken his cousin, the Duke, into his confidence, and the Blenheim visit was undoubtedly arranged so that he could propose to this beautiful girl with whom he was so deeply in love, in a setting which combined the romantic with the heroic, and where he felt so strongly the ties of family and friendship’ (Mary Soames on Winston and Clementine’s engagement, Clementine Churchill, Random House, London, 2002, p. 47).

Blenheim Palace was the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.  The building of the palace was originally intended to be a gift to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), from a grateful nation for the Duke's military triumphs against the French and Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession.  Following the palace's completion circa 1722, it became the home of the Churchill, later Spencer-Churchill, family for the next 300 years. Throughout his life Churchill and his family were frequent guests at Blenheim. Churchill proposed to Clementine in the Greek temple overlooking the great lakes in the gardens in August 1908 and his family frequently spent Christmases with their cousins at the great house. As with so many of Churchill’s paintings, the current picture would have been painted during a time of recreation with his friends and family.

The present work depicts the western façade of Blenheim Palace. It was executed in the early 1920s before the water terraces were constructed between 1925 and 1930. Through the branches of an ancient cedar tree the severe towering stone belvederes of this English Baroque masterpiece are revealed. The painting was executed circa 1920, not long after his first experience of painting at the end of May 1915 when he left the Admiralty and ‘had long hours of utterly unwanted leisure’ (Churchill, ‘Painting as a Pastime’, first published in The Strand Magazine, 1921-2, quoted in Coombs and Churchill, 2011, op.cit., p.54). He describes how initially he felt daunted by the deliberate challenge of the snow-white canvas, fearful to make a start, until he was approached by the gifted wife of Sir John Lavery who, noticing his occupation, exclaimed ‘Painting! What are you hesitating about? Let me have a brush – the big one.’ With several large and fierce strokes she left the canvas cowering. The spell was broken for Churchill. ‘The sickly inhibition rolled away’ (Churchill, ibid., p.58). The joyful boldness with which Churchill approached his painting from then on can be seen in the present work. The branches of the great cedar tree are defined with assured brush strokes and in the rich palette of greens, blues and browns Churchill rejoices in the saturated gleaming colour of his favourite medium.