Winston Churchill's 1948 still life Amaryllis Lily will be offered at Christie's Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale in London on October 21. The work is estimated at £300,000 to £500,000.
The painting captures a vivid red amaryllis belladonna, also known as a March lily, arranged in a pot against a dark, restrained setting. Churchill gifted the work to his daughter, Lady Mary Soames, who later donated it to the Churchill Fellowship in 1995.
Sale proceeds will support the fellowship's Making Space for the Arts programme, which aims to expand opportunities for creative practice and cultural participation.
A confident still-life study
Christie's notes that the composition demonstrates Churchill's developed command of colour, balance and form. The work also reflects the influence of artist William Nicholson, whom Churchill regarded as a formative mentor in his painting journey.
Churchill began painting during the 1930s and regularly worked alongside Nicholson at Chartwell, his family home in Kent, where a garden studio became a key part of his artistic routine. Over time, still life emerged as one of the areas in which he developed a particularly assured visual language.
Churchill's market record remains Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque, sold by Christie's in 2021 for £8.29 million. The upcoming sale highlights how historic artworks can continue to create new resources for contemporary cultural initiatives, linking artistic heritage with future creative access.
