The Resume

(August 24, 1903-February 17, 1980)
Born in London, United Kingdom
Painter, printmaker, fabric designer, and poster designer
Designed the tapestry 'Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph' for the new Coventry Cathedral (1962)
Also known for his portraits and his landscapes of the Pembroke coast
Received the Order of Merit (1960)

Why he might be annoying:

As a portrait artist, his practice of depicting his subjects without any flattering embellishments upset more than a few sitters.
In the most famous example, Winston Churchill almost refused to accept the portrait Sutherland painted of him. (Since the painting had been commissioned by members of Parliament, Churchill was eventually persuaded to accept it to avoid insulting the politicians who had financed it.)
Churchill complained that the portrait made him look 'look like a down-and-out drunk who has been picked out of the gutter.'
A few years later, Churchill's wife Clementine had the painting incinerated in a bonfire (1956).
His stature declined following his death, reflected in the lack of major exhibitions to celebrate the centennial of his birth.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was married to Kathleen Barry for 52 years.
During World War II, he was employed by the War Artists' Advisory Committee to depict the damage done by the Blitz in London.
The National Portrait Gallery wrote that his painting of W. Somerset Maugham (1949) 'began a revival of the art of portraiture' in Britain.
Clementine admitted that his portrait of Winston was actually an accurate depiction: 'really quite alarmingly like him.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Painters
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 82]
• I Died in 1980 (Ranked: 76)
• Look at Me, I'm with Winston Churchill
• Painters
• Profiles 51251-51500 (Ranked: 51490)
• We Celebrated Our Golden Anniversary

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 81.82% Annoying