Did you know that in addition to saving the free world, Churchill was also an accomplished painter? In this episode of the Anglotopia Podcast, Jonathan Thomas sits down with Dr. Lucy Davis — curator of paintings at the Wallace Collection in London and co-curator of Winston Churchill the Painter, the first major retrospective of Churchill's art in over 60 years and the first substantial UK exhibition devoted to his paintings since his death in 1965. The exhibition brings together nearly 60 works, roughly half from private collections rarely accessible to the public, and traces the full arc of Churchill's artistic life: from the tentative canvases he made during the darkest moment of his World War I career, through the luminous Mediterranean harbors and Moroccan cityscapes of his mature period, to the bold late works of a man who found in painting one of the greatest solaces of his life. Lucy walks Jonathan through the story of how Churchill came to paint, the three major artists who shaped his style — John Lavery, Walter Sickert, and William Nicholson — the single painting he made during World War II, the extraordinary Hallmark Cards world tour, and why the Wallace Collection is the perfect home for this once-in-a-lifetime show. The exhibition runs until November 29, 2026. Book your tickets now. Lucy is very grateful to her colleagues at Hallmark Cards, Inc. for their research into the World Tour of Churchill's paintings, which she has referenced in this podcast. Links The Exhibition Winston Churchill the Painter — Wallace Collection (open until November 29, 2026 — book tickets in advance) The Wallace Collection, London Wallace Collection E-Newsletter (Over 60% of subscribers are US-based — talks and courses available remotely) Wallace Collection Events & Remote Courses The Wallace Collection at War — companion display (open until end of October) Gallery of Some of Churchill’s Paintings in the Exhibition Books Painting as a Pastime by Winston Churchill — New Edition with intro by Paul Rafferty Winston Churchill the Painter — Exhibition Catalog, edited by Dr. Lucy Davis (Philip Wilson Publishers) Churchill's Citadel by Katherine Carter — Chartwell and the Wilderness Years Churchill Sites Chartwell, Kent — National Trust Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge America's National Churchill Museum, Fulton MO Also Mentioned Darkest Hour (2017) — Gary Oldman as Churchill Friends of Anglotopia Club Takeaways Winston Churchill the Painter at the Wallace Collection is the first major retrospective of Churchill's art in over 60 years — nearly 60 works, roughly half from private collections that are rarely if ever accessible to the public. This is a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Churchill took up painting in 1915 at the lowest point of his life, following the catastrophic failure of the Dardanelles campaign. His wife Clementine later said she thought he would die of grief — and it was painting that gave him back his spark. Churchill was never formally trained, but worked closely with at least three leading professional artists: John Lavery (portraiture and plein air painting), Walter Sickert (modernist techniques and working from photographs), and William Nicholson (still life, tonal restraint, and simplified composition). Churchill's single painting during World War II was a view of Marrakesh, painted the day after he took President Roosevelt to see the sunset over the Atlas Mountains following the Casablanca Conference. He gave it to Roosevelt as a gift — it is in the exhibition, facing the painting he later gave to President Eisenhower. The Wallace Collection's connection to Churchill runs deeper than the exhibition: Odette Pol Roger was born Odette Wallace as great-granddaughter of Sir Richard Wallace, became Churchill's close friend, and reserved an entire vintage of Pol Roger champagne for him. A quarter-bottle believed to be one of the last he drank before his death in 1965 is on display in the exhibition. Churchill's paintings were the subject of a record-breaking world tour of North America, Australia, and New Zealand in 1958, masterminded by President Eisenhower and Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark Cards. Churchill initially refused — until Eisenhower wrote him a personal letter about the wave of goodwill it would create. Churchill submitted paintings to competitions under the pseudonym "David Winter" and was given the title of Honorary Academician Extraordinary by the Royal Academy — only the second person ever to receive this honor, after Edward VII. The goldfish pool at Chartwell — Lucy's personal favorite painting in the exhibition — contains a detail invisible in photography: the ripple created by the fish on the surface, painted in a subtle mauve-grey. Lucy says it perfectly summarizes Churchill's playful, witty personality. Picasso, upon seeing Churchill's painting La Dragonnière, said (paraphrasing) that Churchill would have been a good professional painter if he hadn't had something else to do. The painting is in the exhibition. The new edition of Churchill's own book Painting as a Pastime — with an introduction by Paul Rafferty — has just been published and is the perfect companion to the exhibition. It explains in Churchill's own words why he took up painting and why everyone else should too. Soundbites "Clementine was looking on and she was so relieved to see him engaged in something. He talked about all this unwanted leisure — going from a really high-pressured executive job to suddenly watching the whole tragedy unfold. To see that spark lit up again." — Lucy on Clementine's reaction when Churchill first picked up a paintbrush. "He said painting was a complete distraction. He said: I know nothing which without exhausting the body more entirely absorbs the mind." — Lucy quoting Churchill on why painting worked when nothing else could. "He's painting the headquarters of the battalion as it was progressively being shelled and devastated. One of his young soldiers said he was unusually quiet and withdrawn and asked what was wrong — and he said: I've been really struggling to paint the craters." — Lucy on Churchill painting in the trenches at Plug Street. "He said it should be a joy ride in a paint box. Nobody should feel afraid or daunted by it. We don't have to aspire to masterpieces." — Lucy on Churchill's message to anyone who wants to paint. "A traveling exhibition of your paintings in the United States would not only attract a great deal of attention, but I am certain it would serve in a very definite way to strengthen the friendship between our two countries." — Lucy quoting Eisenhower's letter persuading Churchill to allow the world tour. "He submitted a painting in 1925 to an amateur painting competition and won first prize — although one of the judges wanted to disqualify it because he thought it must be by a professional painter." — Lucy on Churchill exhibiting anonymously under the pseudonym David Winter. "Picasso said — and I'm paraphrasing — that he would have been a good professional painter if he didn't have something else to do." — Lucy on Picasso's verdict on Churchill's painting La Dragonnière. "There's a particular detail that doesn't come out in photography — the ripple created by the fish on the surface that he's painted in this sort of mauve-grey color. It's just such a lovely finishing touch and really summarizes that playful, witty side of his personality." — Lucy on her favorite painting in the exhibition, the goldfish pool at Chartwell. "He made the gardener row back and forth across the moat to create ripples so he could try a different effect in the water." — Lucy on Churchill's obsessive dedication to capturing reflections accurately. "I think he would like to see us leaving the exhibition with smiles on our faces and with an urge to pick up a paintbrush." — Lucy on what Churchill himself would have wanted visitors to take away. Chapters 00:22 Introduction — Jonathan sets up the exhibition and introduces Dr. Lucy Davis 01:59 Lucy's Background — 15 years at the Wallace Collection, the Courtauld, the National Gallery, and Washington DC 03:09 What Is the Wallace Collection? — A world-class art collection in an intimate Marylebone townhouse 04:47 The Wallace Collection's Churchill Connection — The Artists Aid Russia exhibition, Clementine's charity, and the Pol Roger link 06:29 Churchill's Favorite Champagne — And the quarter-bottle of Pol Roger in the exhibition 07:14 How Churchill Came to Paint — Gallipoli, the darkest moment, Ho Farm in Sussex, and Hazel Lavery's advice 09:49 Did He Take to It Naturally? — Total ambition, total audacity, and the self-portrait painted at 40 13:00 Painting in the Trenches at Plug Street — Easels in the First World War and the crater problem solved 14:50 What Painting Gave Churchill That Nothing Else Could — Complete absorption, relief from anxiety, and seeing the world properly for the first time 17:12 Churchill's Message to Everyone — A joy ride in a paint box, and why no one should feel daunted 19:13 500 Canvases Alongside Everything Else — Chancellor, Prime Minister, Nobel laureate: where did he find the time? 21:12 The One WWII Painting — The Casablanca Conference, Roosevelt, the Atlas Mountains, and a gift that symbolized the Special Relationship 23:02 The Marrakesh Painting and the Gift to Eisenhower — Two paintings face to face in the exhibition 23:47 The Hallmark Cards World Tour — Joyce C. Hall, Eisenhower's persuasive letter, and a record-breaking global exhibition 25:49 How Did Brad Pitt End Up Owning the Marrakesh Painting? — Neither host quite knows 26:34 Churchill's Artistic Mentors — John Lavery, Walter Sickert, William Nicholson, and what each one taught him 32:20 Churchill's Influences — Monet, Cézanne, the Impressionists, and the tessellated pavement of dabs and lozenges 32:33 Walking Through the Exhibition — Six galleries from First Attempts to the Royal Academy 34:00 Gallery 1: First Attempts — Lavery, the self-portrait, and the Plug Street paintings 35:00 Gallery 2: Life and Hope — Chartwell in all seasons, Blenheim, and the wilderness years paintings 36:00 Gallery 3: Still Lifes — Nicholson's influence, the Magnolia painting, and thank-you gifts to friends 37:00 Gallery 4: Light, Atmosphere & Reflections — The Riviera, Morocco, La Dragonnière, and making the gardener row 38:19 Morocco — Six visits, the Red City, the Atlas Mountains, and the Eureka Valley picnics 39:30 Gallery 5 & 6: Recognition — The Royal Academy submission under a pseudonym, Honorary Academician Extraordinary 40:06 Chartwell as Inspiration — 50 years, built for the view, goldfish pools, and the changing seasons 41:45 How a Major Exhibition Comes Together — Loan negotiations, private collections, and 20 years in the making 43:34 The Exhibition Catalog — Six essays, new archival research, and what makes it more than a picture book 47:11 The Contributors — Andrew Roberts on soft power, Catherine Carter on Chartwell, Paul Rafferty on the Riviera, Alan Packwood on Churchill as a visual person 48:36 The Churchill Family's Involvement — Support from the very beginning and throughout 49:16 Why Americans Should Get on a Plane — A revelation, a personality revealed, and a zest for life 50:22 Rapid Fire Churchill Round — Favorite book, film, quote, and painting 53:44 Wrap-Up — Exhibition details, tickets, catalog, and Jonathan's August visit Video Version