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拍品專文
‘I do hope you will accept my daub as an expression of our friendship, and my gratitude to you for all the interest you have taken in my painting.’ - Sir Winston Churchill’s letter to Willy Sax, 26 May 1955.
The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence embodies Sir Winston Churchill’s passion for his favourite pastime, painting. One of Churchill’s first acts as a private man after his resignation from Prime Ministerial duties in April 1955 was to give The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence to his dear friend and supplier of art materials, Willy Sax. The paint manufacturer from Dietikon, Switzerland formed an incredibly strong bond with the globally famous statesman after they first met in Switzerland in September 1946, and the close relationship ensued for the rest of their lives. The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence is one of the most technically accomplished works within Churchill’s oeuvre. The quality of the painting and the personal significance of the subject for his Swiss friend elevates the importance of this gift and is a testament to the strength of their enduring friendship, and of Churchill’s gratitude towards Sax.
After the conclusion of the Second World War, Churchill was invited to Switzerland for a painting holiday on a flamboyant country estate by Lake Geneva. ‘For the Swiss people Churchill became a hero in 1940, and when he visited the city of Zürich on 19 September 1946, tens of thousands of people were cheering along the streets. The Swiss people’s gratitude was limitless. They made his drive through the city a triumphal parade. Never before and never since Churchill have the Swiss paid tribute to a great man like this.’ (W. Vogt, Winston Churchill and Switzerland: From Monte Rosa to the triumphal procession through Zürich, Zürich, 2015, p. 198). As well as making one of his most important post-war speeches, ‘Let Europe Arise’, Churchill had another event on his agenda, a meeting with Willy Sax at the Grand Hotel Dolder. Churchill had been using oil paint produced by Sax Farben, a family run paint manufacturer just outside of Zürich, and he so longed to meet the man who had been behind the quality materials. The pair got on so well that Churchill delayed his return to London so that he could visit his new Swiss friend for a second time, where Sax offered to show him around the Sax Farben shop and how to operate the paint presses. From this point forward, the pair grew closer and closer, and their friendship is well documented through a multitude of letters, photographs, film, and literature such as the book Champagne with Churchill, 2016, written by Philipp Gut.
Sax’s contribution to Churchill’s artistic practice extended beyond the supply of materials, explaining how to exploit their properties to maximum effect. Their shared passion for the medium of oil paint resulted in the conception of a handful of products which were produced especially for Churchill. ‘Churchill Blue’, was a bespoke colour made specifically for the war-time leader in light and deep shades. Churchill favoured working on large canvases for en plen air painting, preferring to paint quickly, using colours directly from the tube if possible. He had not yet experienced a colour that came close to the hues he could see in the sky, so Sax created the colour specifically for this purpose. Sax also created a specific medium for Churchill to use with his oil paints, the recipe of which had been kept secret until recently. They went on countless painting trips together, where Churchill was introduced to many of Sax’s artist connections, including painter Cuno Amiet. Churchill was always very receptive to advice from these artists, and Sax remarked; ‘I know many professional painters who had been able to learn from [Churchill].’ (W. Sax quoted in P. Gut, Champagne with Churchill, Bern, 2016, p. 14).
The scene depicted in The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence would have been especially appealing to Churchill, not only due to his love of painting water, which is exemplified in the present work, but also because this particular vista was visited by one of the most important artists of the 20th Century, Paul Cézanne. Trois Sautets, which translates as ‘three small jumps’, is an elegant bridge that arches over the River Arc. In the last year of his life, Cézanne produced two watercolours of the scene, Baigneuses sous un pont (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art) and Le Pont des Trois Sautets (Cincinnati Art Museum). In 1948, Willy Sax and the Swiss artist Charles Montag visited Churchill in the South of France, where he painted The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence. The scene would have also appealed greatly to Willy Sax, as he was a keen sports fisherman and the river surrounding Trois Sautets was renowned for its fishing. To the left of the vista, one can see that Churchill has suggested the figure of someone fishing, using only a few carefully placed brushstrokes, and thus adding a personal touch to the composition.
Willy Sax’s connection to Churchill saw him adopt the role of a political mediator towards the end of their lives. Sax became a kind of relay station between Churchill and Switzerland, a private ambassador of sorts for friendly exchanges between the two countries. A direct line from Dietikon to Downing Street cemented his role as an informal ambassador, and Sax would also receive numerous letters from Eisenhower with the return address of ‘The White House’. This was significant, as Switzerland had become an important outpost for the still recovering Western powers, as the threat from Stalin’s communist campaign was increasing.
Winston Churchill and Willy Sax both passed away within a month of each other in 1965, but the legend of their unique friendship still lives on. Of all the symbols of their friendship that survive, the most profound and endearing is undoubtedly The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence, which personifies so much of their relationship. Treasured by the Sax family since it was gifted in 1955, this is the first time this exquisite painting has been shown to the public, presenting a rare opportunity to acquire a work with such private and fascinating provenance.
‘Standing here today as head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, I could hardly put it better than Churchill did back then. This globally conscious sovereignty, if I may call it that, is the precondition for Switzerland's international and humanitarian commitments. Confident, cosmopolitan and creative: let's have the courage to use every colour in the palette of world politics. Let's all be a little more like Willy Sax.’ - Address by Federal Councillor I. Cassis on the occasion of the Churchill Europe Symposium, 2021.
The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence embodies Sir Winston Churchill’s passion for his favourite pastime, painting. One of Churchill’s first acts as a private man after his resignation from Prime Ministerial duties in April 1955 was to give The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence to his dear friend and supplier of art materials, Willy Sax. The paint manufacturer from Dietikon, Switzerland formed an incredibly strong bond with the globally famous statesman after they first met in Switzerland in September 1946, and the close relationship ensued for the rest of their lives. The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence is one of the most technically accomplished works within Churchill’s oeuvre. The quality of the painting and the personal significance of the subject for his Swiss friend elevates the importance of this gift and is a testament to the strength of their enduring friendship, and of Churchill’s gratitude towards Sax.
After the conclusion of the Second World War, Churchill was invited to Switzerland for a painting holiday on a flamboyant country estate by Lake Geneva. ‘For the Swiss people Churchill became a hero in 1940, and when he visited the city of Zürich on 19 September 1946, tens of thousands of people were cheering along the streets. The Swiss people’s gratitude was limitless. They made his drive through the city a triumphal parade. Never before and never since Churchill have the Swiss paid tribute to a great man like this.’ (W. Vogt, Winston Churchill and Switzerland: From Monte Rosa to the triumphal procession through Zürich, Zürich, 2015, p. 198). As well as making one of his most important post-war speeches, ‘Let Europe Arise’, Churchill had another event on his agenda, a meeting with Willy Sax at the Grand Hotel Dolder. Churchill had been using oil paint produced by Sax Farben, a family run paint manufacturer just outside of Zürich, and he so longed to meet the man who had been behind the quality materials. The pair got on so well that Churchill delayed his return to London so that he could visit his new Swiss friend for a second time, where Sax offered to show him around the Sax Farben shop and how to operate the paint presses. From this point forward, the pair grew closer and closer, and their friendship is well documented through a multitude of letters, photographs, film, and literature such as the book Champagne with Churchill, 2016, written by Philipp Gut.
Sax’s contribution to Churchill’s artistic practice extended beyond the supply of materials, explaining how to exploit their properties to maximum effect. Their shared passion for the medium of oil paint resulted in the conception of a handful of products which were produced especially for Churchill. ‘Churchill Blue’, was a bespoke colour made specifically for the war-time leader in light and deep shades. Churchill favoured working on large canvases for en plen air painting, preferring to paint quickly, using colours directly from the tube if possible. He had not yet experienced a colour that came close to the hues he could see in the sky, so Sax created the colour specifically for this purpose. Sax also created a specific medium for Churchill to use with his oil paints, the recipe of which had been kept secret until recently. They went on countless painting trips together, where Churchill was introduced to many of Sax’s artist connections, including painter Cuno Amiet. Churchill was always very receptive to advice from these artists, and Sax remarked; ‘I know many professional painters who had been able to learn from [Churchill].’ (W. Sax quoted in P. Gut, Champagne with Churchill, Bern, 2016, p. 14).
The scene depicted in The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence would have been especially appealing to Churchill, not only due to his love of painting water, which is exemplified in the present work, but also because this particular vista was visited by one of the most important artists of the 20th Century, Paul Cézanne. Trois Sautets, which translates as ‘three small jumps’, is an elegant bridge that arches over the River Arc. In the last year of his life, Cézanne produced two watercolours of the scene, Baigneuses sous un pont (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art) and Le Pont des Trois Sautets (Cincinnati Art Museum). In 1948, Willy Sax and the Swiss artist Charles Montag visited Churchill in the South of France, where he painted The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence. The scene would have also appealed greatly to Willy Sax, as he was a keen sports fisherman and the river surrounding Trois Sautets was renowned for its fishing. To the left of the vista, one can see that Churchill has suggested the figure of someone fishing, using only a few carefully placed brushstrokes, and thus adding a personal touch to the composition.
Willy Sax’s connection to Churchill saw him adopt the role of a political mediator towards the end of their lives. Sax became a kind of relay station between Churchill and Switzerland, a private ambassador of sorts for friendly exchanges between the two countries. A direct line from Dietikon to Downing Street cemented his role as an informal ambassador, and Sax would also receive numerous letters from Eisenhower with the return address of ‘The White House’. This was significant, as Switzerland had become an important outpost for the still recovering Western powers, as the threat from Stalin’s communist campaign was increasing.
Winston Churchill and Willy Sax both passed away within a month of each other in 1965, but the legend of their unique friendship still lives on. Of all the symbols of their friendship that survive, the most profound and endearing is undoubtedly The Bridge at Aix-en-Provence, which personifies so much of their relationship. Treasured by the Sax family since it was gifted in 1955, this is the first time this exquisite painting has been shown to the public, presenting a rare opportunity to acquire a work with such private and fascinating provenance.
‘Standing here today as head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, I could hardly put it better than Churchill did back then. This globally conscious sovereignty, if I may call it that, is the precondition for Switzerland's international and humanitarian commitments. Confident, cosmopolitan and creative: let's have the courage to use every colour in the palette of world politics. Let's all be a little more like Willy Sax.’ - Address by Federal Councillor I. Cassis on the occasion of the Churchill Europe Symposium, 2021.