SPOKEN STATE United Kingdom - WINSTON CHURCHILL
Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat, 1940
ABOUT THE PAINTING
The words of Winston Churchill’s “Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” speech are drawn and painted by hand to form the Union Flag.
The lettering follows the flag’s intersecting fields of red, white and blue. From a distance, the colours resolve into the familiar flag; up close, the speech becomes legible.
Original painting: acrylic on aluminium composite panel.
Print EDITIONS
Signed and numbered archival pigment prints of the original paintings, produced in limited editions and available in two sizes. Each print is supplied unframed.
Archival pigment print
Edition of 96
Signed & numbered
Size: 49 cm × 32 cm
Shown framed · Sold unframed
Historical Context
On 13 May 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the House of Commons for the first time as Prime Minister. He had taken office three days earlier, as Germany launched its offensive against France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Seeking Parliament’s support for his new coalition government, Churchill offered no promise of an easy victory: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” His speech set out a commitment to continue the war against Nazi Germany, whatever the cost.
In this painting, those words form the Union Flag—bringing a declaration of wartime resolve into conversation with the flag’s wider associations of identity, power and empire.
Churchill — Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat
ORIGINAL PAINTING
For availability and enquiries about the original painting, please contact Gary.