A painting by former British prime minister Winston Churchill has been returned to Canada more than eight decades after it was painted in the Rocky Mountains.
The painting of British Columbia’s Emerald Lake was revealed to a private audience Thursday evening at Masters Gallery.
Churchill painted it in 1929 on a trip through the Rockies, years before he became prime minister.
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Masters Gallery president Ryan Green announced in a statement on Thursday that he had purchased the artwork for $87,257.
The heavily damaged piece was originally estimated to sell for between $11,000 and $15,000.
“The 1929 Emerald Lake canvas by Sir Winston Churchill offers a rare glimpse at the artistic expression of one of the most influential minds in history,” Green said. “Churchill was very fond of Canada’s natural world and made several visits.”
“In letters written to his wife within days of painting Emerald Lake he remarked on its beauty and he wished to one day return with her on a more permanent basis,” he said.
Green said the Emerald Lake canvas is the only Churchill painting of a Canadian subject still in private hands.
The painting was originally a gift from Churchill to his bodyguard Sgt. Edmund Murray. It had been put up for auction by his son Bill Murray.
Coincidentally, Edmund Murray’s grandson Sam Pascoe happened to be in Alberta for his stepdaughter’s wedding. A family member told him the unveiling was happening in Calgary and reached out to Green for an invitation.
“I have fond memories of my grandfather and it was a big part of his life being with Churchill,” Pascoe said. “It’s great to see it back here.”
-With a file from the Canadian Press
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