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Winston Churchil (1874-1965) wearing a French Poilu's Steel Helmet

Sir John Lavery (Belfast 1856 - Kilkenny 1941)

Category

Art / Oil paintings

Date

1916 (inscribed on reverse)

Materials

Oil on canvas

Measurements

762 x 686 mm (30 x 27 in)

Place of origin

England

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Collection

Chartwell, Kent

NT 1102452

Summary

Oil painting on canvas, Winston Churchill (1874-1965) wearing a French Poilu's Steel Helmet by Sir John Lavery (Belfast 1856 - Kilkenny 1941), signed and inscribed on the back, 1916. A half-length portrait, in service dress uniform and wearing French Poilu's helmet. The frame has the presentation tablet 'From The Officers of the Armoured Car Squadrons'. Lavery is thought to have met Churchill when he was First Lord of the Admiralty (1911-14), around 1911, when he painted a portrait of his sister-in-law, Lady Gwendoline Churchill, in 1911 (exh. RA, 1913). But according to Churchill's own 'Painting as a Pastime', and Lavery's autobiography, it was only after Churchill's enforced resignation and leisure following the failure of the Dardanelles Campaign, at the end of May 1915, that he (and his wife, née Hazel Martyn, who were near neighbours), taught Churchill to paint seriously in oils; and there are on loan at Chartwell companion portraits of one another at work which date from that year. This must have been before Churchill got a commission, as Major in the 2nd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards (it was only in January 1916 that he transferred to the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, as its Colonel), in the uniform of --- which (with the addition of a French infantryman's helmet - the very helmet that hangs beneath the portrait) he is purportedly shown in the present picture. The artist's picture-register lists four portraits of Churchill painted in 1915, one of which this would then be (another portrait, in civilian dress, donated by him to the Hugh Lane Municipal Art Gallery, Dublin in 1935, forms part of Lavery's set of British and Irish political figures; cf. exh. cat. Sir John Lavery, RA, Ulster Museum, Belfast and Fine Art Society, Edinburgh & London, 1984-85, no.77).

Provenance

Commissioned by the officers of the Armoured Car Squadrons, in gratitude for Churchill's encouragement of them, for presentation to him; and painted in the latter part of 1915, before his departure for the front on 18 November; transferred by HM Treasury, 1984

Credit line

Chartwell, The Churchill Collection (National Trust)

Marks and inscriptions

signed and inscribed on reverse and presentation tablet "From The Officers of the Armoured Car Squadrons"

Makers and roles

Sir John Lavery (Belfast 1856 - Kilkenny 1941), artist

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