SEARLE, 'ART: THE BRITISH PUBLIC KNOWING WHAT IT LIKES...', INK AND MONOCHROME WATERCOLOUR, 1954

419 by 368mm., pen ink and monochrome watercolour, signed, inscribed with title and dated 1954, mounted, framed and glazed, some browning

EXHIBITED:
‘Ronald Searle, A Major Retrospective’, Chris Beetles Gallery, 30 September-1 November 2003; 'Images of Power: From the Jeffrey Archer Cartoon Collection', Monnow Valley Arts, 3 September - 30 October 2011

Punch, 8 December 1954; Merry England (London, 1956) page 79; Russell Davies, Ronald Searle A Biography (London, 1990) page 108

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"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."

In 1954 Graham Sutherland (1903-1980) was commissioned by both Houses of Parliament to paint a full-length portrait of Winston Churchill, to celebrate his 80th birthday. Churchill had suffered a stroke, concealed from the public, before returning for a second term in office in 1951, and his final period in power was marked by dwindling health. The completed portrait was presented to Churchill at a ceremony in Westminster Hall on 30 November 1954 and has become one of the most famous cases of a subject disliking their painting. At the unveiling, Churchill wryly described it as, ‘an outstanding example of modern art’, later complaining that it made him ‘look half-witted’. Sutherland had done nothing to disguise the effect of age on the Prime Minister, particularly in the area of his sunken jaw and loose skin beneath his chin. Although Sutherland conveyed fully the distinction and tenacity of the elder statesman, it was nevertheless seen as a lonely image of an angry old man in the twilight of his career.

All that survive are preliminary sketches and oils, as Churchill’s wife Clementine privately destroyed the portrait after seeing how much it distressed her husband. Although the portrait was not displayed before the general public, Searle’s cartoon estimates the reaction of an audience that was accustomed to flattery in public portraiture.