Winston Churchill. New Year, early 1940s.

SZYK, Arthur. Winston Churchill. (New Year, early 1940s.) Pencil on paper. Sheet size: 4 1/2″ x 3″. Image size: 2″ x 3 1/8″. Very Good condition.

This piece represents a unique piece of Szyk ephemera, a small card indicating his change of address in New York City with a delicate pencil drawing of Winston Churchill on verso. This is the kind of debris that an artist creates and is so often lost, discarded or forgotten. In this case, we are lucky to have this small gem—evidence of Szyk’s prolific creation as he sketched on almost any surface that was available to him. In this image, Szyk pays homage to a man he greatly admired. Although he renders the face with delicate pencil lines, he manages to capture the intensity of Churchill’s eyes. The overall impression is that of a physically idealized Churchill: he is determined and stalwart while maintaining a gentlemanly handsomeness.

Provenance: Alexandra Szyk Bracie, daughter of Arthur Szyk.