In his book My Life With Noël Coward, Graham Payn describes how Coward considered himself a Sunday afternoon painter, a pastime he found both relaxing and rewarding, and something he became more absorbed with in the 1950s and 1960s. He would very often give his paintings away as gifts to friends for birthdays, Christmas or as a personal token. It was Sir Winston Churchill, himself an amateur artist, who encouraged Coward, and instructed him to paint in oils. Unfortunately Coward was allergic to turpentine so had to paint wearing gloves. Oil was eventually abandoned for gouache.

A selection of thirty-four of Sir Noël Coward's paintings were sold by Christie's in London, 18th February, 1988.