The Art of Diplomacy Exhibit

The Millennium Gate Museum in Atlanta held an exhibit of Sir Winston Churchill’s paintings which we attended this past weekend.  I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were considering he was not formally trained.  Churchill was born shortly after the first impressionist art exhibit and you could see how the style influenced his work.  He also had some ideas about painting that made me wonder if he had spent time chatting with other artists or art teachers.  One example of this is the idea of painting the same scene several times. He felt that if he did that he would see new details or see things in a different way.  He used that some philosophy in his politics, he believed that every minute of a speech should take at least an hour of writing.

Boat in Cannes Harbour by Winston Churchill

He created over 500 paintings in his lifetime, most were landscapes. Since he traveled extensively he was able to capture quite a few parts of the world. If 500 paintings doesn’t seem like it’s prolific enough discovering that he only painted one painting during the second world war makes it even more impressive.

The Beach at Walmer by Winston Churchill

Although he was known for his strong military leadership Churchill usually painted very peaceful scenes. He believed that the creativity that he used in his paintings would translate to his strategic and leadership abilities. He makes a strong argument towards keeping art education in our schools. This painting struck a cord with me, it was painted about 1938. The cannon was an old piece of equiptment that was used to protect the coast in a previous war. The bathers seem oblivious to the fact that it appears to be aimed right at them. It made me think about the juxtaposition of weapons and peace. I wonder how many of us could feel perfectly peaceful while staring down the barrel of this weapon.  Would it become commonplace and ignored? Are we doing that in a more metaphysical way right now?

Tower of Katoubia Mosque by Winston Churchill

The painting titled “Tower of Katoubia Mosque” was the only painting that Churchill created during World War II, he gifted it to President Roosevelt and was on loan to the exhibition due to the generosity of it’s current owners Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.  Churchill’s great grandson, Duncan Sandys was on hand to tell us the story of this painting and a few other interesting stories of Churchill’s artistic life.

Millennium Circle by Edwina Sandys

Winston was not the only member of the family with artistic talent. His granddaughter Edwina Sandys is also an artist who had this piece on display at the museum.  She works in various mediums including painting, drawing, and sculpture. You should check out her work, it’s very thought provoking, satirical, and fun. I really like it.


Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff