Winston Churchill

Copied William M. McVey, Winston Churchill, before 1966, bronze, 23 7⁄8 x 10 1⁄8 x 8 in. (60.5 x 23.1 x 20.4 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William M. McVey, 1966.18

Artwork Details

Title
Winston Churchill
Artist
Date
before 1966
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
23 7⁄8 x 10 1⁄8 x 8 in. (60.5 x 23.1 x 20.4 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of William M. McVey
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Churchill, Winston
  • Occupation — political — statesman
  • Occupation — other — aristocrat
Object Number
1966.18
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.18

Artwork Description

William McVey made this sculpture of Winston Churchill as a model for a larger bronze statue that was placed in front of the British Embassy in 1966. Churchill leans on a cane, his right hand signaling a V for victory, his left holding a cigar. The striding figure was intended to straddle the line between the British territory of the embassy and the American soil of Washington, symbolizing Churchill’s dual citizenship and the ties between Great Britain and the United States.