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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| New record for Churchill painting | New record for Churchill painting |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A recently discovered painting by wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, entitled View of Tinherir, has been sold for £612,800 at auction. | |
| The oil picture, which was painted in 1951 while Churchill was in Morocco, was expected to fetch about £250,000. | The oil picture, which was painted in 1951 while Churchill was in Morocco, was expected to fetch about £250,000. |
| It was sold at Sotheby's by Kitty Winn, granddaughter of US General George Marshall, to whom Churchill gave the painting as a gift in 1953. | It was sold at Sotheby's by Kitty Winn, granddaughter of US General George Marshall, to whom Churchill gave the painting as a gift in 1953. |
| The price tag is a record for an artwork by the former prime minister. | The price tag is a record for an artwork by the former prime minister. |
| War memoirs | War memoirs |
| A Sotheby's spokesman said the next most expensive Churchill painting sold was On The Rance, Near St Malo, which fetched £344,000 at auction last year. | A Sotheby's spokesman said the next most expensive Churchill painting sold was On The Rance, Near St Malo, which fetched £344,000 at auction last year. |
| "It's quite a rare event for something like this to just pop up out of the blue," said Sarah Thomas of Sotheby's. | "It's quite a rare event for something like this to just pop up out of the blue," said Sarah Thomas of Sotheby's. |
| "With such an amazing provenance - it was given to one of the most historic families - it's all the more remarkable that it was missed," she added. | "With such an amazing provenance - it was given to one of the most historic families - it's all the more remarkable that it was missed," she added. |
| Churchill visited Marrakech in Morocco frequently to compose his war memoirs and to paint. | Churchill visited Marrakech in Morocco frequently to compose his war memoirs and to paint. |
| It is in Morocco in 1943 that Churchill first met General Marshall, who was US President Franklin Roosevelt's army chief of staff during World War II. | It is in Morocco in 1943 that Churchill first met General Marshall, who was US President Franklin Roosevelt's army chief of staff during World War II. |
| 'Therapeutic act' | 'Therapeutic act' |
| Churchill came to revere the general as "the last great American" and he promised one day to pay tribute to his work training the US forces. | Churchill came to revere the general as "the last great American" and he promised one day to pay tribute to his work training the US forces. |
| Ms Thomas said: "Churchill took up painting very late. He saw it as a hobby, he didn't see himself as a professional painter. It was something that he really loved doing. | Ms Thomas said: "Churchill took up painting very late. He saw it as a hobby, he didn't see himself as a professional painter. It was something that he really loved doing. |
| "Most importantly, he found relief from all the pressures of his work in his painting. It was quite a therapeutic act. He would paint while mulling over speeches and decisions. | "Most importantly, he found relief from all the pressures of his work in his painting. It was quite a therapeutic act. He would paint while mulling over speeches and decisions. |
| "His work does vary in quality, everyone would acknowledge that. A lot of his paintings are pretty poor and amateur and full of splodges. | "His work does vary in quality, everyone would acknowledge that. A lot of his paintings are pretty poor and amateur and full of splodges. |
| "But over the years he learnt quite a lot from his artist friends. In his later work you can see that." | "But over the years he learnt quite a lot from his artist friends. In his later work you can see that." |
| Two paintings by Churchill were recently sold for more than £300,000 each at auction. | Two paintings by Churchill were recently sold for more than £300,000 each at auction. |