PICTURES OF THE MONTH
From time to time we plan to choose a picture from the Gallery’s collection, including ones that have rarely been on display as well as some of Spencer’s best loved paintings.
July
GIRLS RETURNING FROM A BATHE (1936)
I chose this painting because it’s July and it’s baking hot so I took a dip in the Thames this morning near The Odney Club in Cookham – it was lovely and cool! Did the girls swim fully clothed or – who knows ? The patterns on the girls’ dresses and the detailed brickwork are classic Spencer. The rubber rings look like giant sausages which makes me smile.
This painting belongs to Spencer’s ‘Baptism’ series. Encircled by tyre inner tubes that echo the circular window of the Odney Club, two girls return ‘from a baptism’ at Odney Pool.
Chosen by Colin – Gallery Volunteer
June
CHRIST PREACHING AT COOKHAM REGATTA, 1959
Spencer devoted almost a decade to planning and painting Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta, but delayed by competing priorities and ill health, it was still only three-fifths complete when he died in December 1959. He intended it to express his own unique vision of God’s love for the world, as he understood it through his own love for Cookham. The scene is set by Cookham Bridge, very close to the Stanley Spencer Gallery, so visitors are able to stroll down and see for themselves the beautiful stretch of the river Thames where the action takes place.
May
PORTRAIT OF STANLEY SPENCER, 1957 by his daughter Unity
In company Stanley Spencer was often garrulous. Sometimes irritatingly so. But in this sensitive portrait of her aging father, Unity captures a moment of quiet calm. Stanley has stopped working on ‘Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta’ which is rolled up in the background. He’s set aside his brushes and settled down to read. He’s relaxed in his chair. One hand is propped under his chin as he concentrates on words rather than images. The subtle, subdued tones of grey and beige reflect his contemplative mood. I feel the comfortable, companiable atmosphere as father and daughter focus on their respective tasks.
Chosen by Pauline – Gallery Volunteer
April
THE LAST SUPPER 1920
Stanley Spencer’s The Last Supper (1920) is a remarkable piece that captures the essence of his unique approach to religious themes. Painted during his stay with the Slessers, this oil on canvas work measures 1126 x 1452mm and is one of the most celebrated pieces from Spencer’s series of religious paintings.
In this depiction, Christ is seated before the wall of a grain bin in a Cookham malt-house, with John resting against him at the moment of the breaking of the bread. The other disciples are arranged along the sides of a plain table, their limbs forming a strongly marked pattern. Spencer’s choice of setting and composition imbues the scene with a sense of homeliness and seclusion, reflecting his deep connection to Cookham and its surroundings.
Spencer’s ability to blend the sacred with the familiar is evident in the chairs used in the painting, which closely resemble those found in his family home, “Fernlea”. This attention to detail and the integration of everyday objects into his religious works highlight Spencer’s distinctive style and his desire to make the divine accessible and relatable.
“The Last Supper” was purchased by the Slessers for £150 and installed in their private chapel in the boat-house. This painting not only showcases Spencer’s technical skill but also his profound ability to convey spiritual intimacy and community through his art.
Visitors to the Gallery can view The Last Supper as part of the summer 2025 exhibition, “That Marvellous Atmosphere, Stanley Spencer and Cookham Regatta” which runs from 3 April to 2 November 2025.
March
THE ANGEL, COOKHAM CHURCHYARD 1936-37
The Angel by Stanley Spencer is a poignant painting captured from an unusual and likely uncomfortable viewpoint. The angel appears to lean in protectively, with a billowing flag from the church tower highlighting its serene profile. A smudge on the Saint George’s cross, possibly from the artist’s finger, adds a human touch contrasting with the hard stone of the statue. This statue, commemorating George Pendrill, a young man who died in a boating accident in 1890, was familiar to Spencer from childhood walks. The painting, reflecting the memorial’s significance, was created twice by Spencer, with this second version painted for his friend Gwen Raverat, whose husband had also died young.
February
ERIC WILLIAMS MC (1954)
Eric Williams was a renowned Second World War RAF hero who tunnelled out of Stalag Luft 3 under cover of a box vaulting horse. By the time this portrait was painted in 1954 he and his wife Sibyl were planning their own escape from conventionality, recorded in Williams’ book of 1957 ‘Complete and Free’, the dustjacket of which is illustrated with this picture. Spencer called him ‘a heluva chap’ and Sibyl said of Stanley ‘..he’s one of the few modern painters who have the humility to paint with care. He paints with love.’
Vistiors can view this portrait in the current exhibition Seeing the Unseen and can learn more about Spencer’s acute observational skills in our Weaving Stories series.
January
SWISS GIRL (c1933-1935)
Spencer was not a frequent traveller, but in 1933 he received a telegram from the businessman, Edward Beddington-Behrens, to join him in Saas Fee. “Come to the mountains,” the telegram said. “Nothing required except strong boots and a spirit of adventure.” Spencer rose to the challenge, and was soon reporting to his agent, Dudley Tooth, “I am having a magnificent time and hope to do a lot. I have done a little climbing and am a very steady walker. We had to ride mules to get here. Great fun. Yours Stanley.”
The Saas Fee trip and a subsequent Behrens-financed visit to Zermatt resulted in a large figure painting and a number of landscapes, that were bought by Behrens. Spencer also made a number of drawings of the local villagers including peasant women on their way to church in their richly embroidered native dress. The Stanley Spencer Gallery is fortunate to have three of Spencer’s Swiss drawings, including this charming pencil drawing of a girl.