Churchill Artist Richard Deane Taylor
Can you please tell me who the artist is who created the lovely image of Winston Churchill on your book Churchill by Himself? —M.D., London
With pleasure. He is Richard Deane Taylor, who painted the original for a Collier’s cover in 1951 after Churchill had returned to Downing Street following the General Election. Click here for his virtual gallery.
Mr. Taylor, who died a few years ago, gave permission to use it on the jacket of the British edition of Churchill by Himself, which came to pass.
Unfortunately, while the publishers did make good efforts to lighten his eyes (which in life were very light blue), they cropped the top of WSC’s head, incurring the ire of Lady Soames and this writer, and somewhat spoiling the effect, although they have promised to fix this in the second edition—”if there is one.”