Photo Christie’s homepage capture
Actor Angelina Jolie, 46, received a gift from her ex-husband Brad Pitt, 58, and a landscape painting by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (1874-1965), which was in possession for 10 years, was sold at an auction and sold at a high price. Titled “Tower of Koutoubia Mosque” (1939-1945), this oil painting was hand-drawn by Churchill during World War II and presented to the then-American President Franklin Roosevelt.
On the 1st (local time), this work, which appeared at Christie’s auction in London, was auctioned for 7 million pounds (10.9 billion won), far exceeding the expected bid price, according to foreign media such as AFP.
This painting depicts the old city landscape of Marrakech and the snowy Atlas Mountains on canvas after Churchill met with Roosevelt of the United States and Charles de Gaulle of France in Casablanca, Morocco in 1943, in the second half of World War II.
Marrakech is a region that has inspired Churchill since the 1930s, when Morocco was a French colony, and he was so attached to calling Marrakech’Paris of the Sahara’ in his war memoirs.
At that time, Churchill told Roosevelt, who hurried to return to his country after the meeting, “We cannot come to North Africa and leave without seeing Marrakech. Let’s go and stay for only two days. We have to watch the sunset over the snow in the Atlas Mountains.” He recommended and made friendship with Roosevelt at a villa in Marrakech.
Churchill sent the finished painting to the U.S. as a birthday present for Roosevelt, and until it appeared at the auction, the painting was owned by Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie. CNN reported that Roosevelt’s son sold the work to filmmakers, and after several collectors, a family in New Orleans kept it for 50 years before handing it over to an antique store. In 2011, Brad Pitt bought the painting and gave it to his ex-wife Jolie, citing sources.
Churchill started painting at a relatively late age of forty, and since then, even during active political activities, Churchill is considered to have exhibited a world of art that surpassed the level of amateur lovers.
Christy’s side explained that the successful bid was “the most important work of Churchill, and apart from its special origin, it is also the only landscape painting painted by Churchill during the war.”
Christie’s side initially expected the winning bid for this work to be between £1.5 million and £2.5 million. In addition to this work, two other works were also put on auction, and the three works sold for a total of £943 million (14.7 billion won).
The painting, presented by Jolie, won the auction about eight minutes after the start of the auction, and it is not known who the new owner will be.
Reporter Bae Jae-seong [email protected]
