Dunkirk painting gifted to Churchill goes on display
A PAINTING of the evacuation of Dunkirk selected by Winston Churchill is to go on public display for the first time at his former home Chartwell.
The picture, of British soldiers carrying wounded comrades along the promenade at Dunkirk, was painted by war artist Ernest Townsend.
It was in poor condition, with a 10cm rip, and not fit for display. Now, following restoration, it will again hang in the former prime minister’s Kent home.
Chartwell staff were made aware of Churchill’s letter in which he wrote he would be “honoured to accept” painting. He was regularly inundated with gifts following the war, being sent 900 for his 80th birthday.
Many were politely returned with a note of thanks and an explanation why the wartime leader couldn’t keep them.
But when he was offered this by Townsend’s son, he kept it. One reason why is that it was while he was writing the second volume of his History of the Second World War, which deals with Dunkirk.
A second is that he once sat for a portrait by Townsend and felt a connection to the painting. Katherine Carter, Chartwell’s curator, said: “It must have been poignant for him to be given this beautifully painted reminder of such a significant event, just at the time he was writing about Dunkirk for his history of the war.” The painting had a rip in its lower parts and layers of varnish left it with a muted, discoloured appearance.
It required 100 hours of restoration to bring it back to its original condition.
Sophie Reddington, a conservator at the National Trust, explained how it was stitched together like a wound.
“The tear in the canvas was repaired by humidifying the area, using Goretex as a vapour barrier, preventing direct contact with water. This relaxed the broken threads enabling the torn edge to be neatly aligned and temporarily held in place with kinesiology tape.
“The threads were rewoven with a surgical needle and then secured with adhesive – as wounds are treated with sutures.” She described removing the layers of varnish as “like bringing a painting back to life ... this painting looks transformed with its colours fresh and vibrant again”.
The 4ft by 7ft painting was delivered to Churchill’s London home but then moved to Chartwell, where researchers hope to discover where it hung originally. At Churchill’s death in 1965, it was recorded as being in his garden studio.
For now, it will hang in the staircase landing next to Some of the Few, a painting by Roy Nockolds of Hawker Hurricanes flying during the Battle of Britain.