Churchill portrait ‘contextualised’ with racist overtones | UK | News

A portrait of Winston Churchill is to be ‘contextualised’ with a note on racism and slavery after an assessment of the work by the conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council

Wartime photo of PM to hang alongside links to ‘racism, slavery and colonialism’

The wartime depiction of the Prime Minister – painted in 1967 as a replica of a 1943 engraving – will remain on display at County Hall, Hertford, pending a proper explanation of the links.

Other artworks that are expected to appear alongside the warnings after the review include portraits of 19th-century prime ministers Viscount Melbourne and Lord Palmerston, according to The telegraph.

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, is a historical figure whose image will remain stored in Hertfordshire.

His government presided over the First Opium War, in which British forces protected the British opium trade to China against the government’s wishes. The conflict resulted in Hong Kong becoming a British colony.

Other figures whose portraits will remain in reserve until a proper explanation of similar context can be provided are Robert Arthur Talbot, another Prime Minister during the Empire era, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a 19th-century Colonial Secretary, and Cecil Rhodes, Prime Minister of the former Cape Colony.

However, Hertfordshire County Council said work to contextualise his art was not a priority and nothing had been moved into storage as a direct result of the review.

The board, led by curators since 1999, appears to prioritize the preservation of its collection above all else.