Winston Churchill's goldfish painting could net £80k at auction

Sir Winston Churchill's last ever painting - an abstract of a fish pond - is going on sale next month.

The Goldfish Pool At Chartwell, which was completed in 1962, is expected to fetch up to £80,000 at auction.

The wartime prime minister gave the oil on canvas to his bodyguard Sergeant Edmund Murray, who looked after him in the last 15 years of his life.

The former policeman used to help Sir Winston prepare his brushes and easel before he painted.

The fish pond at his Kent home was said to be "the most special place in the world for Churchill" and the area where "he always longed to return to and was most relaxed".

Head of Sotheby's modern and post-war British department, Frances Christie, said: "Towards the end of his life, he had this chair next to it.

"He would go and sit on it and tap his walking stick and all the goldfish would suddenly spring to life and that's the subject of this painting."

Demonstrating a change in style for Churchill, with bold and bright brushwork, this is the first time the picture will have ever have been exhibited.

A prolific artist, Churchill painted 544 paintings, after taking up the hobby up in his 50s.

Acting as an escape from public life, the former statesman said preparing to paint was "much like planning an offensive".

With none of his work sold during his lifetime, Ms Christie said she thought he would be "amazed" at all the interest in his painting, adding he "clearly had talent".

The painting will be sold as part of Sotheby's Modern And Post-War British Art Sale in London on 21 November.

A larger painting of his goldfish, painted at an earlier date and given to his daughter Mary, sold for £1.8m in 2014.

Just last week, a cigar half-smoked by statesman sold for $12,000 (£9,045) in an online auction.