Angela Merkel and Donald Trump in the Oval Office, March 2017 (2)

Jacob Epstein Sir Jacob Epstein (10 November 1880 – 21 August 1959) was an American-British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British subject in 1911. He often produce ...

's bronze bust of Winston Churchill was completed in 1947 and cast in an edition often said to number 10 (but more, perhaps 12 or 16, are thought to exist). Epstein was commissioned by the War Artists Advisory Committee to create a sculpture of former

British prime minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

in August 1945, after the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and shortly after Churchill lost the

1945 UK general election The 1945 United Kingdom general election was a national election held on 5 July 1945, but polling in some constituencies was delayed by some days, and the counting of votes was delayed until 26 July to provide time for overseas votes to be bro ...

. Two casts have been previously displayed in the Oval Office. Another remains on display in the atrium of Churchill College, Cambridge.

Background

Epstein applied to become a British official war artist after he was conscripted in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, but his application was rejected. Epstein was also not appointed as an official war artist in the

, but he was asked to undertake six commissions for the War Artists Advisory Committee. After completing bronze busts of a sailor, a soldier, and an airman – Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, General Sir Alan Cunningham, and Air Marshal Sir Charles Portal – and then a bust of Labour Party politician

Ernest Bevin Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 – 14 April 1951) was a British statesman, trade union leader, and Labour Party politician. He co-founded and served as General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union in the years 1922–194 ...

, Epstein accepted a commission to create busts of the independent politician John Anderson and former Conservative Party Prime Minister

. He received the last two commissions in August 1945, the month after Churchill lost the

, and just a few months after the end of the Second World War. The bust of Anderson was completed quickly, but Churchill's bust was delayed as the politician could not find time to sit for the artist until December 1946 and January 1947. By then, Churchill had left

Downing Street Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk f ...

, but his London residence at

Hyde Park Gate Hyde Park Gate is a street in Central London, England, which applies to two parallel roads in Kensington on the southern boundary of Kensington Gardens. These two roads run south, perpendicular to Kensington Road, but the name Hyde Park Gate als ...

was opposite Epstein's home. After three sittings at the artist's studio, Epstein visited Churchill at Chartwell for three further settings. While Epstein worked, Churchill smoked cigars and gave dictation to a procession of secretaries.

Description

The completed bronze bust is approximately high, excluding the base. In the words of the Imperial War Museum: "This is a powerful work. Churchill's ringed eyes display not only focus but also clarity of vision: the rough surface, his formidable grit and determination."

Casts

The work was completed in 1947 and cast in an edition often said to number 10 (but more, perhaps 12 or 16, are thought to exist). The casts are extremely rare and valuable with one being exhibited at the

Leicester Galleries Leicester Galleries was an art gallery located in London from 1902 to 1977 that held exhibitions of modern British, French and international artists' works. Its name was acquired in 1984 by Peter Nahum, who operates "Peter Nahum at the Leiceste ...

in March 1947. Casts are held by Churchill College, Cambridge, the Imperial War Museum, the

Iziko South African National Gallery The Iziko South African National Gallery is the national art gallery of South Africa located in Cape Town. It became part of the Iziko collection of museums – as managed by the Department of Arts and Culture – in 2001. It then became an agenc ...

, and the Centre Georges Pompidou. Other casts are held in private collections, including the

Hallmark Cards Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a private, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was award ...

art collection and The Marjorie Goodwin Collection. Several examples have been sold at auction in recent years, including at Christie's in November 2011 for £97,250 (from the Epstein-Evans Collection), at Sotheby's in June 2004 for £182,500, at

Bonhams Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought to ...

in November 2014 for £100,900, at Sotheby's in June 2015 for £106,500, and at Christie's in November 2015 for £110,500. A cast was donated to the White House in 1965, under the presidency of

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

, by a group of American wartime friends of Churchill, including W. Averell Harriman, and also Frederick L. Anderson, David K. E. Bruce, Ira C. Eaker and Carl Spaatz. In recent years, this cast has been displayed on the second floor of the White House, outside the Treaty Room, which is now part of the President's private rooms. In a 2015 press conference, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

confirmed that the cast was moved partially to make way for a new bust of

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

in the Oval Office while reiterating his admiration to Churchill. It was temporarily moved back into the Oval Office in January 2017, after the inauguration of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

, until it was replaced by a cast from the British

Government Art Collection The Government Art Collection (GAC) is the collection of artworks owned by the UK government and administered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The GAC's artworks are used to decorate major government buildings in t ...

(GAC). The GAC has two casts. One was acquired at auction in 1983. It has been in Washington, D.C. since at least July 2001, when it was loaned to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

for display in the Oval Office during the presidency of George W. Bush, while the White House's own cast was being restored. The GAC cast was returned to the British Embassy in Washington DC in 2009, after the end of Bush's term of office, and was ultimately moved to the British Ambassador's residence. Despite the fact that the bust was only intended to remain for the duration of Bush's presidency, its removal caused controversy among British and American conservatives, who interpreted it as an affront to the Special Relationship. Future Prime Minister

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...

wrote in '' The Sun'' that the decision represented "the part-

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

n president’s ancestral dislike of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

,” while Mike Huckabee claimed that "he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather." It was also criticized by Charles Krauthammer in an opinion-editorial for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''.

Daniel Pfeiffer Howard Daniel Pfeiffer (born December 24, 1975) is an American political advisor, author, and podcast host. He was the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, Barack Obama, for strategy and communications from 2013 to 2015. Pfeiffe ...

responded to these criticisms by pointing out that there were two busts and that one of them remained in Obama's private residence. The bust was ultimately returned to the Oval Office in January 2017 under the Trump presidency; before again being removed in 2021 as part of a re-design upon the election of Joe Biden which included busts of

Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "th ...

and Cesar Chavez. The GAC's second cast of the Epstein bust was acquired at auction in 1986, and is on display at the British Embassy in Paris. The GAC also has two bronze busts of Churchill, and a small bronze sculpture of Churchill with his wife Clementine, all by Oscar Nemon.

References

External links

Sir Jacob Epstein, Bust of Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
Government Art Collection (in Washington DC, acquired 1983)
Sir Jacob Epstein, Bust of Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
Government Art Collection (in Paris, acquired 1986)
Jacob Epstein, correspondence with Ministry of Information
Imperial War Museum
Bust of the Rt Hon Winston Churchill
Imperial War Museum
Bust of Sir Winston Churchill
Centre Georges Pompidou
Bust of Sir Winston Churchill
MacConnal-Mason Gallery
Sale at Christie's
17 November 2011

10–11 June 2014
Sale at Bonhams
17–18 November 2014

9–10 June 2015
Sale at Christie's
26 November 2015
Busted: Blair gives public treasure to White House
''The Guardian'', 28 August 2005

''The Daily Telegraph'', 29 July 2012
The Case of the Two Churchills
''The New Yorker'', 1 August 2012
Ted Cruz's claim that one of Obama's 'very first acts' was returning a bust of Churchill
''The Washington Post'', 27 January 2015
The Churchill Bust: Not Again!?
Richard M. Langworth, 15 November 2016
The two Winston Churchill busts, Obama, Trump and Nigel Farage
iNews, 13 November 2016
The Churchill bust is actually a tale of two statues
iNews, 20 November 2016
Here's the real story about the Churchill bust in the Oval Office
''The Washington Post'', 23 January 2017
''A White House Diary''
Lady Bird Johnson, p. 327
Winston Churchill
Hallmark Art Collection {{Winston Churchill, state=expanded 1947 sculptures Art in the White House Bronze sculptures in England Bronze sculptures in London Bronze sculptures in Paris Bronze sculptures in Washington, D.C. Busts in the United Kingdom Busts in Washington, D.C. Churchill College, Cambridge Sculptures by Jacob Epstein Sculptures in Washington, D.C. Sculptures of men in the United Kingdom Sculptures of men in Washington, D.C. Sculptures of Winston Churchill Sculpture series

Background

Description

Casts

See also

References

External links