Painting by Winston Churchill goes on UK public display for the first time, along with his painting coat, as Chartwell celebrates his passion for art

From Saturday 28 February, Churchill’s former home Chartwell in Kent is looking at his passion for painting, with personal objects, art materials and never seen works on display to explore his creative life and legacy.

At the heart of the display is a painting by Churchill that has never been seen publicly in the UK, on loan from The Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation. Created away from the public eye, it shows how painting helped Churchill slow down, refocus, and recover from the stresses of life.

Quiet Waters depicts a tranquil landscape and was given by Churchill to his close friend Lord Beaverbrook for his 80th birthday in 1959. Unusually, though he generally preferred bold and brilliant colours, this scene, with its complex reflections on the surface of the water, caught his eye, and is rendered in more muted colours, reflecting his remark, “All nature is equally interesting and equally charged with beauty”.

Visitors will also have the chance to see Churchill's painting coat and the steel-framed spectacles he used, up close for the first time. Spattered with paint, the cotton coat is witness to the many hours he spent in his art studio and outdoors creating over 500 works.

Though functional garments, Churchill’s painting overcoats were carefully made, typically by his tailors on Saville Row. As well as protecting his clothes while in his art studio, putting this coat on became part of his process. The only self-portrait he ever undertook shows him proudly wearing his white painting overcoat.

Katherine Carter, property curator at Chartwell, explained, “Churchill once said ‘the muse of painting came to my rescue’. It was his way of getting away from the stresses and strains of public and political life. At Chartwell, visitors can explore how art became his antidote to pressure and frustration – items like his well-used coat for painting along with works he created, bring us closer to those quiet creative moments away from the world.”

Among the items on display for the first time is a print taken from a painting by Sir Alfred Munnings, famed for his equestrian art and later President of the Royal Academy. The original belonged to Waldorf Astor, who loved it so much he commissioned a small run of prints in the early 1950s for close friends, including Winston Churchill. Munnings championed Churchill’s own painting, encouraging him to exhibit at the Royal Academy and helping secure his unique honour as an Honorary Academician Extraordinary – the only amateur artist ever to receive it.

Katherine Carter continued, “In a world of constant notifications and pressured lives, Churchill’s relationship with painting feels surprisingly modern. This display reminds us he was not just a historical figure, but someone who turned to art, as so many people do today, to recharge, reflect and stay resilient.”

Chartwell as a place of artistic inspiration continues. This year, while some of Chartwell’s collection is away on loan, the property is taking the opportunity to show eight winning paintings from a competition where amateur artists of all ages submitted works inspired by the house, garden and nature. Winners include primary school and sixth form students, printmakers and designers.

Katherine Carter added: “It has been a delight to see Chartwell depicted in so many fresh and imaginative ways. The competition has produced some wonderful entries that capture not only the beauty of the Churchills' former home and garden, but also the enduring creativity it continues to inspire."

Churchill the Artist runs from Saturday 28 February to Sunday 1 November at Chartwell, Mapleton Rd, Westerham, Kent.

For further information and opening times visit Chartwell - National Trust.