OTTAWA, Ontario — A stolen painting of Winston Churchill that was mistakenly replaced by a counterfeit during the pandemic has finally been restored to its original location. This recovery was made possible by two detectives from the Ottawa police who journeyed to Rome to bring it back home.
The artwork known as “The Roaring Lion” was taken from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel between Christmas Day in 2021 and January 6, 2022. During this time, a forgery took its place, a fact that remained unnoticed until August. It was then that an observant hotel staff member realized something was amiss, noting that the frame did not hang correctly and appeared distinct from the others.
On Friday, the hotel’s general manager, Genevieve Dumas, officially revealed the reinstalled portrait during a special ceremony. Dumas assured attendees, stating, “I can tell you that it is armed, locked, secured.” She humorously added that when the staff were hanging it up, they accidentally set off the alarm, which was loud enough to be heard all the way on Parliament Hill.
Known for its iconic representation of the wartime leader, “The Roaring Lion” is featured on the U.K.’s five-pound banknote, showing a stern Churchill looking directly at the viewer. The renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh captured this striking image in 1941 shortly after Churchill made a motivational wartime speech to Canadian legislators. Toward the end of his life, Karsh signed the piece and gifted it to the hotel, where he both lived and worked.
According to police reports, the stolen portrait was sold at an auction house in London to a private collector, both of whom were unaware of its illicit status. A man from Powassan, Ontario, has since been charged with forgery, theft, and trafficking, with the case currently proceeding through the judicial system.
The much-anticipated return of the portrait drew a crowd during the announcement event, which welcomed notable figures including Ottawa’s mayor. In a message from Nicola Cassinelli, a lawyer in Genoa who had purchased the artwork, he expressed his appreciation for the piece. He stated, “The magnificent photograph by Yousuf Karsh captures in the eyes of Sir Winston Churchill the pride, the anger and the strength of the free world. And it represents, better than any other, the desire for the triumph of good over evil.” Cassinelli acknowledged the extraordinary honor of having the portrait at his residence, asserting that “The Roaring Lion” truly belongs to the public.