Marrakech – On November 19, Heffel Auction House will host a live sale titled “A Legacy Through Art: The Hudson’s Bay Company Collection.”
Among the twenty-seven works featured in this extraordinary collection is a remarkable painting by former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill entitled “Marrakech.”
This oil on canvas, created around 1935, was originally gifted by Churchill to his wife, Lady Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill.
In 1954, Churchill was appointed Grand Master of the Hudson’s Bay Company, an honorary title recognizing his global prestige.
In gratitude, Churchill agreed to donate a painting he had previously gifted to his wife, despite his well-known reluctance to part with his works.
“Marrakech” was thus presented to the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1956. Such gifts were exceptionally rare, underscoring both Churchill’s esteem for the company and the symbolic weight of this particular painting.
Estimated at CAD 400,000–600,000 (approximately MAD 2,615,439–3,923,158), “Marrakech” is currently on display at Heffel’s Toronto exhibition space.
The painting reflects Churchill’s affection for the “Red City” and its unique light.
Dated 1935, the artwork corresponds with Churchill’s travels across North Africa, from Cairo to Tunis and then Marrakech via Casablanca, during his years out of office.
These trips served largely as artistic retreats. “It was his first encounter with Morocco, partly inspired by painter Sir John Lavery, who had praised the region’s exceptional light. Upon arriving in Marrakech, Churchill was immediately captivated by the city’s colors, brilliance, and charm,” the auction catalogue highlights.
Reflecting on his experiences, Churchill wrote, “Here, in these vast palm groves emerging from the desert, the traveler can be assured that he will never find the world dull.”
