ASinMalta (Art Society in Malta) to host a lecture on Winston Churchill the Artist, by Claire Walsh.
“‘Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely.’ The perfect antidote to the depression that blighted his working life, Sir Winston Churchill took to painting with gusto following his ejection from the Admiralty at the time of the 1915 Gallipoli disaster.
Painting was the mainstay that allowed one of the world’s greatest national leaders to achieve all that he did. At 40 years old, Churchill found in painting a passion that was to remain his constant companion, producing over 500 works. Churchill’s paintings record landscapes from the Riviera, to Blenheim, Chartwell and Marrakech. He took lessons from Lavery, Sickert and Nicholson, and the choices he made tell us much about the colour, texture and direction of art in the early twentieth century.
The most fascinating aspects of this exploration of a talent beyond the mere amateur is the role it played in his personal and political life, the restorative power of the process of painting, and the insight it allows us into the art of his age. Traditional in style, Churchill painted mainly oil-on-canvas and portraiture, building up a collection which largely remains in his studio at Chartwell.
Having previously worked at the V&A and lectured there and for the University of Warwick, Claire Walsh now lectures for the Open University. She has lectured widely in Britain, at the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Museum of London amongst others, as well as to specialist groups including the Art Fund, the Ceramics Society, the Costume Society and the Ancient Monuments Society. She has also lectured in Europe, the USA (including Yale and the Huntington) and Canada and she has numerous publications.
Winston Churchill the Artist, a lecture by Claire Walsh, will take place on Thursday 27 February at 6.30 p.m at the Salini Resort Hotel. Members: Free, Non-members: €15 and Students €7.50 at the door (inc welcome drink). For more information email asinmalta@theartssociety.org or visit ASinMalta’s website or their Facebook page.
