About 100 years ago the world was dealing with a pandemic and, as we have been for the past year, was facing restrictions, uncertainty and panic. Between 1920 and 1921, an erstwhile soldier and politician published Painting as a Pastime, an essay on why he painted, the joy that painting gave him and how it helped with what we would now call his mental health and wellbeing. It was written, of course, by that great 20th-century polymath, Winston Churchill, a completely self-taught emerging artist at the time.
Lotta Teale Silver Teapot with Eggs, Afghan Vase and Local Flowers, oil on canvas board, 11¾315¾in (30340cm)