41 Works, June 30th. is Stanley Spencer’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #177
Villagers and Saints, c. 1933
Oil on canvas
H 88.3 x W 158.7 cm
University of Hull Art Collectio
Painting such as Villagers and Saints articulate Spencer’s unique understanding of Christianity. In the work, Spencer combines the religious and the ordinary — the villagers are connecting to the saintly and spiritual world, while the saints exist in the physical world. By blurring the lines between the heavenly and the earthly, Spencer elevates the ordinary activities that make up daily life in Cookham. More on this painting
Sir Stanley Spencer, CBE RA (30 June 1891–14 December 1959) was born in Cookham, Berkshire, the eighth surviving child of William and Anna Caroline Spencer. His father was a music teacher and church organist. Stanley’s younger brother, Gilbert Spencer (1892–1979), also became a notable artist, known principally for his landscape paintings. Stanley Spencer was educated at home by his sisters. Gilbert and Stanley took drawing lessons from a local artist, Dorothy Bailey…