Work of satirical cartoonist Gerald Scarfe going under the hammer
Sotheby’s believes the star lot is a drawing of former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill’s final appearance in the House of Commons.
An image of the Duke of Cambridge leap-frogging over his father the Prince of Wales is among the satirical Gerald Scarfe cartoons going on sale.
The unpublished image, which has a £3,000 to £5,000 estimate, is among a catalogue of cartoons to be sold by Sotheby’s auctioneers in central London on April 5.
A drawing, called A Good Place To Hang Out, shows current Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson lurking outside No 10 Downing Street. It could fetch £5,000 to 7,000.
Sotheby’s believes the star lot among the 130 sale drawings is one of former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill showing the elderly statesman’s final appearance in the House of Commons in 1964. It has a £100,000 to £150,000 estimate.
Scarfe had been commissioned by The Times to record the occasion, but his image was thought too controversial to publish.
Lady Clementine “would be upset when the paper dropped through the letter-box in the morning”, according to Scarfe.
Less than six months later Sir Winston was dead and the image appeared on Private Eye’s cover.
Until recently, it has been on exhibition at Portcullis House, House of Commons.
Scarfe, 80, has been a successful political cartoonist, who is known for his no-holds barred approach, for more than 50 years.
Sotheby’s Dr Philip Errington said the drawings on sale “pack a significant punch” and include work ranging from Disney to Pink Floyd, from Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May, Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, and Yes Minister to The Magic Flute.
