38、Winston Churchill was one of the great men of his age. To show their respect for him, the British lawmakers asked a fine artist, Graham Sutherland, to paint Winston Churchill's picture. When it was completed, it was presented to him, at a grand affair in the Westminster Hall, at the House of Commons (下议院).
It was reported in the newspapers to show that Churchill accepted the gift. He described the painting as "a remarkable example of modern art", which drew loud laughter.
In fact he was unhappy with the painting. Sutherland later reported that he asked whether it was to be painted in with a "happy" or "fierce" attitude. "Fierce," replied Churchill. At the time, Churchill was coming to the end of his political life and was unhappy that people wanted him to end his career.
Some twenty years later it was revealed that Lady Churchill hated the painting so much that she had it destroyed. "It was preying on (折磨) his mind," she was reported as saying.
A leading art critic was asked what he thought about the matter. He said he could understand Lady Churchill and had pity on her. Graham Sutherland is a very honest artist, who could only paint what he saw. At the time it was painted, Churchill was an old man, worried by the thought that he would have to end his political career soon. But Lady Churchill shouldn't have had the painting destroyed. It could have been stored away until after their deaths.