January 1, 1970

Churchill took up painting in 1915 at the age of forty after his sudden fall from office over the disastrous Dardanelles campaign. He hoped it would provide a distraction, and he threw himself into it wholeheartedly. Some of his first paintings were done on the Western Front during the First World War. He preferred oils and tended to favour landscapes and over five hundred paintings have now been traced. He successfully submitted for the Royal Academy exhibition under a false name, but really painted for fun and often gave his paintings away to friends. They can now command a considerable value. You can visit his painting studio at Chartwell and see examples of his paintings at many other sites, including Blenheim. Churchill called his paintings his ‘daubs’. Was he more than a talented amateur? This is your chance to decide for yourself.