Wisconsin exhibit to feature 500 paintings by Churchill

APPLETON, Wis. (AP) — An art exhibit featuring about 500 paintings by Sir Winston Churchill is set to open this week in Appleton.

Churchill is best known as Great Britain's no-nonsense prime minister during World War II. But he was also an accomplished painter who picked up the hobby at age 40.

A Post-Crescent of Appleton report says the exhibit opens Friday at the Trout Museum of Art. It runs through July 29.

Museum executive director Timothy Riley says Churchill preferred landscapes and nature scenes. But Riley says one painting that stands out is a 1938 work titled "Beach at Walmer." It shows several people playing in the water while a cannon sits in the foreground.

Riley says it foreshadowed Churchill's ability to rally British citizens to resist the German attack.

Information from: The Post-Crescent, http://www.postcrescent.com.

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