An original print of the iconic 1941 photograph of Winston Churchill, taken by Armenian Genocide survivor and photographer Yousuf Karsh, has been recovered in Italy after being stolen from a hotel in Ottawa, Canada, and replaced with a counterfeit, reports the BBC.
The photograph, titled “The Roaring Lion,” was captured by Karsh shortly after Churchill delivered a wartime speech to Canada’s Parliament in 1941. It has since become one of the most famous portraits ever made and is featured on the UK £5 banknote.
On Wednesday, Ottawa Police announced that the portrait had been found in the possession of a private buyer in Genoa, Italy, who was unaware of its stolen status. Police believe the photograph was stolen sometime between December 25, 2021, and January 6, 2022, during strict COVID-19 lockdowns.
The theft was first discovered by a member at the Château Laurier hotel on August 19, 2022. “We are deeply saddened by this brazen act,” the hotel’s general manager said in a statement at the time.
Authorities also announced the arrest of a 43-year-old man from Powassan, Ontario, in connection with the theft and illegal sale of the photograph. His identity is protected under a publication ban, but he faces several charges in Canada, including forgery, theft, trafficking, and damage to property. The man was arrested on April 25 and appeared in court in Ottawa the following day.
The photograph is famous for capturing Churchill, Britain’s wartime prime minister, moments after Karsh famously removed a cigar from his mouth. Karsh later recalled the moment: “I held out an ashtray, but he would not dispose of it”¦ I waited; he continued to chomp vigorously at his cigar. I waited. Then I stepped toward him and, without premeditation but ever respectfully, I said, ‘Forgive me sir,’ and plucked the cigar from his mouth.”
By the time Karsh returned to his camera, Churchill appeared “so belligerent he could have devoured me,” the photographer wrote.
Police suspect the stolen photograph was sold through an auction house in London to a private buyer in Italy, neither of whom knew the piece was stolen. The suspect was identified through public tips, forensic analysis, and “open-source research,” police said.
Later this month, Canadian investigators will travel to Rome for a ceremony where the unidentified buyer will formally return the artwork. “Once in Ottawa Police custody, the portrait will be ready for the last step of its journey home to the Fairmont Château Laurier, where it will once again be displayed as a notable historic portrait,” police said.
Yousuf Karsh (December 23, 1908 ” July 13, 2002) was an Armenian-Canadian photographer renowned for his portraits of notable figures. He is regarded as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century. An Armenian genocide survivor, Karsh migrated to Canada as a refugee. By the 1930s, he had established himself as a prominent photographer in Ottawa, where he lived most of his adult life, although he traveled extensively for work. His iconic 1941 photograph of Sir Winston Churchill marked a breakthrough in his 60-year career, leading to numerous portraits of political leaders and prominent figures in the arts and sciences. More than 20 of Karsh’s photographs appeared on the cover of Life magazine, until his retirement in 1993.
