Winston Churchill: The Painter

Join today to enjoy priority access on Members' Day, Friday 22 May, and free admission to all our exhibitions. Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965) was one of the great statesmen of the twentieth century – the UK’s Prime Minister during the Second World War, and a Member of Parliament for 62 years. He was also a passionate and prolific painter. In painting, he found respite from public pressures, and a lifelong source of joy. The first major retrospective of Sir Winston Churchill’s paintings since his death, this exhibition brings together more than 50 of his works. More than half are from private collections, rarely accessible to the public. Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end. Winston S. Churchill, 'Painting as a Pastime' Encounter sombre wartime scenes and radiant Mediterranean views, carefully composed still-lifes and portraits, luminous Moroccan cityscapes, and deeply personal paintings of Chartwell, Churchill’s beloved home and garden. During Churchill’s lifetime, some were exhibited at the Royal Academy, or given as tokens of friendship or diplomatic gifts. But most were painted purely for the pleasure and challenge of the creative process. Read more Toggle Painting