London – Two paintings by legendary wartime Statesman and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), consigned from the same Private U.S. Collection, are amongst the highlights of Bonhams' Modern British and Irish Art sale on 19 November at Bonhams New Bond Street, London. The painting The Lake at Blenheim (Painted circa 1926-29), which was gifted by Churchill to Field Marshal Viscount 'Monty' Montgomery of Alamein, depicts the lake at Blenheim Palace, Churchill's birthplace in Oxfordshire. It has an estimate of £400,000 – 600,000. The sale will also feature Churchill's Le Béguinage, Bruges, (Painted in 1946), which has an estimate of £300,000 - 500,000.

Penny Day, Head of UK & Ireland, Modern British & Irish Art in London, commented: "A central figure of the 20th Century, Sir Winston Churchill left an indelible mark on modern history. He is, of course, best remembered for his wartime leadership of the British people, navigating the country through its darkest hour and earning a place in the fabric of a nation. He was however also a talented painter, and his works – which he often gifted to those closest to him – are highly sought after by collectors. We are delighted to be offering two works by Churchill in our upcoming sale, including a painting of his beloved Blenheim Palace, a place of enormous personal significance for him."

Sir Winston Churchill was born on November 30th, 1874, at Blenheim Palace, which was the home of his grandfather John, 7th Duke of Marlborough. Blenheim played a significant role as a backdrop to Churchill's life, acting as a reliable escape for a young boy returning from boarding school and later as a sanctuary for peaceful reflection in the most challenging moments of political and military life. Churchill chose to propose to his wife Clementine at Blenheim in 1908, stating that 'At Blenheim, I took two very important decisions: to be born and to marry. I am content with the decision I took on both occasions.' Following the births of their five children, the family would frequently spend their Christmas' at Blenheim, with Winston annotating the visitor book with an 'X' should the children be too young to sign for themselves.

Churchill gifted many of his works to close friends, family, colleagues and dignitaries. Inevitably, works by Churchill found their way into the collections of some of the most prominent figures in history, including U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt who received Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque (1943), the only painting completed by Churchill during World War II.

The Lake at Blenheim (circa 1926-29) was a gift from Churchill to Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. Montgomery, or 'Monty' as he was known, was widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest field commanders. He had seen significant action during World War I, in which he had received a sniper bullet through his right lung at Ypres, continuing through the Battles of Arras and Passchendaele before finishing the war as Chief of Staff of the 47th Division. Montgomery was appointed commander of the 8th Army in Egypt during World War II. Montgomery performed his duties successfully with a decisive victory over General Rommel at the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942, which was a major turning point in the North African campaign, followed by his command of all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord, overseeing the D-Day landings and subsequent Battle of Normandy in 1944.

Despite their differing personalities, Churchill admired his determination, dynamism and strategic prowess and the two men remained in contact for the rest of their lives with Montgomery stating that it was after the war at Chartwell that 'our true friendship began.' Their time spent together at Chartwell inevitably involved reminiscing over military matters and even extended to watching films together in the dining room with Monty operating the projector, alongside croquet on the lawn with Clementine.

It is not surprising that Churchill chose to gift Montgomery one of his paintings and one so personal as The Lake at Blenheim, which he uniquely signed twice, both in full and with initials. Likely gifted during a visit to Chartwell, on the cusp of the distinguished soldier's retirement, the 'still waters' of the lake can be seen as symbolic of the peaceful life that would hopefully follow a career of intense military service, something Churchill himself would have known only too well following his own retirement as Prime Minister in 1955.

Also in the sale will be Churchill's Le Béguinage, Bruges:

Dating to 1946, Le Béguinage, Bruges was painted the year after unconditional German surrender and the end of World War II. The subject of the composition, with a group of devout Benedictine nuns peacefully reflecting in an idyllic garden on a clear bright day is of course in stark contrast to the experience of life in Europe during the recent conflict. Churchill would have known better than anyone the privilege of his position as he sat painting in a country that had been under Nazi occupation, just as his own could have been, until the previous year. The present time also marked a welcome return to painting for Churchill after the Second World War.

Le Béguinage, Bruges was formerly in the collection of Grace Hamblin who worked as secretary to Sir Winston Churchill from 1932 and latterly for Lady Churchill. She recounted that pictures were stored in the drawing room at Chartwell and Churchill would sometimes have days of hanging art, which involved a carpenter following him around the house and being told where to position them.

Both works comes from the collection of Arthur Murray, the world's best-known teacher of ballroom dance. By the time he stepped down as President of Arthur Murray Inc. in 1964, Mr. Murray had built a dance instruction empire including over 300 franchised dance studios globally and a series of dance instruction manuals that taught millions of Americans the confidence, poise, and skills of ballroom dancing.

Bonhams will be offering works from the collection of Arthur Murray in November 2025 and Spring 2026 sales in New York and London.