Art & culture
How did Yousuf Karsh make the “Roaring Lion” portrait of Churchill?
The famous 1941 portrait came from a planned lighting setup and an unplanned change in Churchill’s expression.
Yousuf Karsh photographed Winston Churchill in Ottawa on December 30, 1941, after Churchill addressed Canada’s Parliament. The resulting image, often called “The Roaring Lion,” became a widely circulated portrait. Library and Archives Canada’s account traces how Karsh’s prepared studio lighting met a tense, brief encounter.
A portrait made between events
Karsh arranged to photograph Churchill after his speech and had lights set up in advance. The archive’s oral-history account recounts that Churchill initially resisted the interruption and that Karsh removed his cigar before making the better-known exposure. A second, more relaxed portrait followed, making the pair useful evidence of how expression can shift within one sitting.
Evidence: Museum or national archive record
Publication made the image famous
The first image was published in January 1942 and spread through newspapers and magazines. Library and Archives Canada describes how requests for copies followed; the photograph helped establish Karsh’s public reputation as a portraitist. Its fame therefore depends on both the exposure and the later circulation of prints and reproductions.
Evidence: Museum or national archive record
A portrait versus a booth moment
A booth records the sitter’s self-directed sequence, while Karsh’s portrait emerged from a photographer’s planned lights and brief interaction with a public figure. Both preserve an expression, but only one grew into an intentionally lit formal commission. Use this comparison to discuss how direction and circulation shape a portrait’s meaning.
Evidence: Museum or national archive record
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Yousuf Karsh: Pursuing Greatness — Library and Archives CanadaMuseum or national archive record