Winston Churchill portrait back home

Artist Paul Franco, left, has drawn in pencil a portrait of Winston Churchill. He is pictured with Jillyan Hing at Hawke's Bay Club, who has been looking after the portrait. PHOTO: WARREN BUCKLAND

Artist Paul Franco, left, has drawn in pencil a portrait of Winston Churchill. He is pictured with Jillyan Hing at Hawke's Bay Club, who has been looking after the portrait, Napier.

PHOTO: WARREN BUCKLAND

by Brenda Vowden

brenda.vowden@nzme.co.nz

A treasured pencil sketch of Winston Churchill drawn in 1963 has now come full circle and been returned to its Napier artist, Paul Franco.

Paul drew the 800mm x 700mm portrait of the prime minister from a photograph taken of the late leader during his visit to Canada in 1944. Maude Passey bought the picture as a gift for her husband George in 1964.

"My mum saw the drawing and approached Paul to buy it for Dad as he was such a Churchill fan," says daughter Jillyan Hing, who had the drawing hanging in her home for many years.

Jillyan decided to loan the portrait to the Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship, who arranged for it to be hung for public viewing at the Hawke's Bay Club in Napier seven years ago.

"The trust loaned it to the club as they thought it was an appropriate building," Jillyan says.

She received a letter from the trust offering the drawing back and 92-year-old artist Paul was present as the portrait was handed over a couple of weeks ago.

"After 58 years, it's got whiskers on it. But when I saw it, it looked just the same."

Paul has mixed feelings about its return and reminisces about the drawing's undertaking.

"It is all pencil, except for the bow-tie. I used a wax pen, but realised it doesn't shade. I mucked it up."

Paul says the original photo of Winston Churchill was taken by renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh who received commissions worldwide after photographing the Houses of Parliament in Canada.

"He was a top notch man for many years," Paul says.