Posters celebrating the effort of Britain and its allies in the Second World War have become familiar images in Western popular culture. But how was the war reported from the perspective of the other side?
20 January 2022
THE CHURCHILL OCTOPUS
c.1941, a Vichy France World War II propaganda poster
£4,000-5,000
Our Out of the Ordinary sale on 15-16 February includes a chromolithograph propaganda poster published in occupied Paris by the Vichy government in 1942.
Signed with a monogram of the artist ‘SPK’, it depicts Winston Churchill as an octopus with its tentacles representing British military intervention in the Middle East and Africa.
The text reads Confiance... Ses Amputations Se Poursuivent Methodiquement (Have Faith – The Systematic Amputations Are Continuing).
The desire was to spotlight the areas of conflict that existed between Vichy French forces and the British and the Free French. The cutting of these tentacles reflects the thwarting of British actions in Norway, Germany, Syria, Somalia, Libya, Mers el Kebir and Dakar by Axis forces.
This well known but rare image is guided at £4,000-5,000.
Sworders proudly supports The Art of the Poster, a selling exhibition at The Curwen Print Study Centre featuring original lithographic posters by leading modern artists such as Picasso, Miró, and Chagall. Each purchase helps fund the Centre’s vital work in printmaking education and preservation.
8 October 2025
On 25 September our London Gallery was proud to host a preview event for our autumn Modern & Contemporary Art auction, in partnership with The Fry Art Gallery. Acclaimed illustrator, painter, and printmaker Chloë Cheese provided a captivating talk that celebrated the achievements of women artists and was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance.
6 October 2025
As we approach our first edition of The Glass Sale, taking place later this month, let us guide you through the history and defining features of 18th century glass.
3 October 2025