In honor of the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s death (January 24, 2015), The Millennium Gate Museum and the Churchill family have jointly organized an exhibition of the iconic statesman, war-time hero, and Nobel-prize winning historian’s lesser known but equally vibrant triumphs: his paintings, better and more humbly known among his friends and in his writings as his “daubs.” The Museum and family have designated Hay House as one of the auxiliary venues for exhibition of this special collection, September 19-26.

Curated in part from the never-before exhibited, personal family holdings of several descendants, The Art of Diplomacy explores the relationship between Churchill’s strategic decision-making and his evolving practice as an artist. How did his strengths as an historic leader, innovator, and policymaker affect his painting, and how in turn did his development as an artist influence his decisions and overall perspective? Churchill, who picked up painting in the wake of his resignation as First Lord if the Admiralty following 1915’s disastrous Battle of Gallipoli, embraced art as a source of great enjoyment. But beyond his love of what he called a “joy-ride in a paint-box,” he saw painting as testing grounds for leadership strengths like audacity, humility, foresight, and strength of memory. Painting a picture, he wrote, “is like fighting a battle; and trying to paint a picture is, I suppose, like trying to fight a battle.”

In comparison to previous exhibitions of Churchill’s work, The Art of Diplomacy presents a novel interpretation that places the act of painting at the center of Churchill’s evolving leadership – and, by extension, at the heart of twentieth century history. As Churchill wrote, “If it weren’t for painting I could not live. I couldn’t bear the strain of things.” If he was right – in the words of esteemed art historian Ernst Gombrich – “his painting may have helped to save Western civilization.”

This exhibit, brought to Macon with the assistance of the City, Peyton Anderson Foundation, NewTown Macon, and Raymond James will run at Hay House September 19-26. The exhibit will be free to the public, thanks to the presenting sponsorship of the Knight Fund for Macon of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. Hay House will host a champagne opening reception featuring a presentation and stories of select paintings by Rodney Cook and Churchill’s great grandson Duncan Sandys. Cost is $75 per person.

Hay House is a property of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and is open for tours seven days a week. As part of its educational mission, the house is opened for Hay Day twice a year, as a free event for the community. Contact Hay House at 478.942.8155 or visit HayHouseMacon.org.