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t luir« ¡sillS paintings
He's an Old Master
at drawing crowds
ia Australia:
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PAINTER 83-year-old Sir Winston Churchill wa» reluctant
to gend hi» pictures to America. Most of the pictures in
the show are from the walls of Chartwell, his home in Kent.
Story and pictures from ROBERT FELDMAN,
of our New York staff
. Most art critics admit that Sir Winston
Churchill, the world's most famous part
time painter, has technical facility. But
many of them question that an original
Churchill deserves a place beside a
Picasso, a Rembrandt, or a Renoir.
THIS is the argument
that has made the
air blue over six major
American cities where the
show of 40 pictures is be-
ing exhibited.
It is Sir Winston's first one
man show, and is coming to
Australia in July.
He was at first reluctant to
send the exhibition to the U.S.
A letter from President Eisen-
hower finally persuaded him.
Sponsor of the show is a
firm that has used Churchill
paintings for its greeting
cards.
In New York, Kansas City,
and Detroit, all previous at-
tendance records at art
museums were broken. At the
Detroit Institute of Arts a
ciowd of 11,859 jammed the
gallery one Sunday.
In defending the decision
to show them, the director,
James J. Rorimer, said:
"He will not be judged in
history as a painter, but the
results of this pastime will
add to the stature of the man.
"Think of how eager we
would be to see the paintings
of Alfred the Great, were they
to be discovered torriorrow."
Said the chief curator of the
Detroit Institute, Paul L.
Grigaut:
"The show has attracted
people who would not know
about our permanent collec-
tions without some such shot
in the arm.
"There is something touch-
ing in the respect that visitors
have for these paintings."
Two of the pictures - the
maximum number permitted
by copyright laws - are re-
produced here.
"Bottlescape" is said to be
the best in the collection.
"Black Swans at Chartwell"
(the swans, kept at his country
home, were presented to him
by the people of Western Aus-
tralia) is considered more
typical of the collection -
pleasant, but mediocre.
Among the pictures in the
exhibition is an interior of
Blenheim Castle, seat of the
Duke of Marlborough, Chur-
chill's famed ancestor, and his
own birthplace.
By the time the travelling
show folds its tent in the
States it is estimated that
about a million people will
have seen it.
Such a number, argue the
critics, proves that most
people have gone out of
curiosity, not from love of
art.
The pro-Churchills' reply
is:
"What's wrong with
curiosity?"
Brickbats thrown at the ar-
tist:
. From Leon Arkus, Director
of Pittsburgh's Carnegie In-
stitute, which turned down
the show: "I understand Mr.
(sic) Churchill is a terrific
bricklayer, too, but nobodv is
exhibiting bricks this season."
. From Philip Adams, Direc-
tor of the Cincinnati Art
Museum: "Our interest, as a
museum's should be, is in art,
not history."
. From an anonymous
museum head: "What ue
should do in revenge is send
President Eisenhower's paint-
ings to be exhibited at the
Tate Gallery in London."
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"BLACK SWANS AT CHARTWELL," painted in 1948 (copyright, Sir Winston Churchill). Painting» in the exhi-
bition »pan a period of 41 year», the earliest being "Plug Street," a World War I French village scene, 1916,
and the mott recent, "View of La Pausa, Roquebrune" (French Riviera),'1957. The Riviera it a favorite holiday site.
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"BOTTLESCAPE," painted around 1932, lent by Lady Churchill (copyright, Sir Winston Churchill). Critics consider
this still-life represents the best of his work. Six of the pictures on show were lent by Americans who received them
a» gift*. Sir Winston has never sold a painting, but through the years has presented many of them to friends.
$