Sir Winston Churchill’s only wartime painting – Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque (1943) – will lead Christie’s Modern British Art evening sale on March 1. From the collection of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who are divorcing, it is being offered for sale by the Jolie Family Collection. Painted in Marrakech following the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 – where it was agreed by the Allied forces that only complete surrender by the Axis powers would be acceptable – it is estimated at £1,500,000-2,500,000. Churchill invited Franklin D. Roosevelt to join him in Marrakech the day after the conference concluded, motivated by his desire to share the views of the city and the light at sunset. The view impressed Roosevelt so much that Churchill decided to capture the scene for him as a memento of their excursion. This act was seen not only as an indication of their friendship but of the special relationship between the UK and the USA.
The Hollywood couple bought the painting ten years ago at M.S. Rau in New Orleans.
Churchill began painting scenes of Morocco after being encouraged to visit the country by his painting tutor, Sir John Lavery. Upon his first visit in 1935, he felt that the light and scenery were unrivalled, creating some 45 paintings of the country. Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque stands out as the only painting he created between 1939 and 1945.
