1. Peter Anderson explores one of Cookham’s greatest talents, Sir Stanley Spencer,
ahead of an exhibition of his work
B
erkshire and the Thames Valley have, through the
centuries, provided the creative inspiration for
many people, including William Shakespeare with
his Merry Wives of Windsor, and Jerome K Jerome’s
journey down the River Thames in Three Men in a Boat.
However, perhaps the greatest inspiration was that given
to Sir Stanley Spencer who based many of his paintings
around his birthplace, Cookham.
Spencer was born in the town in 1891 and showed an
early talent in painting. After training in Maidenhead, he
went to the Slade School of Art. He was a devoted and
intensely spiritual man, and had the ability to project
that devotion into whatever his surroundings at the
time. Hence a large number of his pictures depict biblical
scenes occurring, not in the Middle East, but in the
Cookham of his own lifetime.
It should not be thought, though, that spiritual works
were the only genre in which he demonstrated his skill,
as he was one of the most talented and original of the
20th century British painters.
The wide range of his repertoire can be seen this month
in the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham which has
one exhibition finishing and another starting. Together
with the Sandham Memorial Chapel reopening for the
summer, in Burghclere, the opportunities to see Spencer’s
works represent a feast, with a wide variety of choice for
those who enjoy the art of the 20th century.
The current exhibition, which runs until 20th March
is entitled The Creative Genius of Stanley Spencer. This
exhibition shows that Spencer’s skill and artistry is far
wider than the religious paintings he is famed for. He uses
his skill to paint flowers and gardens with an accuracy
that could equally grace a book on botany. In addition to
pictures held by the gallery, this exhibition also includes
the Sir Stanley Spencer collections from Aberdeen and
Leeds City Galleries, together with pictures on loan from
other galleries and private collections.
His genius is clearly shown, as, whether it is the delicate
flowers on a fuchsia bush or the knitted sweater of a
World War II hero, the careful observation and exquisite
accuracy is clearly apparent. But, Spencer was a man well
aware of the time-consuming nature of this sort of detail.
When people asked him for a price to have their portrait
painted, apparently one of his questions was to enquire
what they would be wearing – so he could gauge how
much work would be required.
Following the Creative Genius exhibition, there will be an
exhibition entitled Stanley Spencer: Visionary Painter of
the Natural World. This exhibition will run from the 24th
March until the end of October and features a selection
of paintings which show Spencer’s skill in reflecting the
natural world, whether landscapes, flowers, or garden
or riverside scenes. The magnolia featured in Spencer’s
painting from the 1930s continues to bloom in one of
the Cookham’s gardens today, and not many things have
changed over the years since his painting of the gardens
in The Pound.
It is perhaps apt that the Gallery in Cookham devoted
to Spencer’s life and work is located in a building in
Cookham that was at the centre of his devotion, the
Methodist Chapel. Visit www.stanleyspencer.org.uk
Arts A&Spencer
Exhibition <<
Sir Stanley Spencer: View from Cookham Bridge

2. Peter Anderson explores one of Cookham’s greatest talents, Sir Stanley Spencer,
ahead of an exhibition of his work
B
erkshire and the Thames Valley have, through the
centuries, provided the creative inspiration for
many people, including William Shakespeare with
his Merry Wives of Windsor, and Jerome K Jerome’s
journey down the River Thames in Three Men in a Boat.
However, perhaps the greatest inspiration was that given
to Sir Stanley Spencer who based many of his paintings
around his birthplace, Cookham.
Spencer was born in the town in 1891 and showed an
early talent in painting. After training in Maidenhead, he
went to the Slade School of Art. He was a devoted and
intensely spiritual man, and had the ability to project
that devotion into whatever his surroundings at the
time. Hence a large number of his pictures depict biblical
scenes occurring, not in the Middle East, but in the
Cookham of his own lifetime.
It should not be thought, though, that spiritual works
were the only genre in which he demonstrated his skill,
as he was one of the most talented and original of the
20th century British painters.
The wide range of his repertoire can be seen this month
in the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham which has
one exhibition finishing and another starting. Together
with the Sandham Memorial Chapel reopening for the
summer, in Burghclere, the opportunities to see Spencer’s
works represent a feast, with a wide variety of choice for
those who enjoy the art of the 20th century.
The current exhibition, which runs until 20th March
is entitled The Creative Genius of Stanley Spencer. This
exhibition shows that Spencer’s skill and artistry is far
wider than the religious paintings he is famed for. He uses
his skill to paint flowers and gardens with an accuracy
that could equally grace a book on botany. In addition to
pictures held by the gallery, this exhibition also includes
the Sir Stanley Spencer collections from Aberdeen and
Leeds City Galleries, together with pictures on loan from
other galleries and private collections.
His genius is clearly shown, as, whether it is the delicate
flowers on a fuchsia bush or the knitted sweater of a
World War II hero, the careful observation and exquisite
accuracy is clearly apparent. But, Spencer was a man well
aware of the time-consuming nature of this sort of detail.
When people asked him for a price to have their portrait
painted, apparently one of his questions was to enquire
what they would be wearing – so he could gauge how
much work would be required.
Following the Creative Genius exhibition, there will be an
exhibition entitled Stanley Spencer: Visionary Painter of
the Natural World. This exhibition will run from the 24th
March until the end of October and features a selection
of paintings which show Spencer’s skill in reflecting the
natural world, whether landscapes, flowers, or garden
or riverside scenes. The magnolia featured in Spencer’s
painting from the 1930s continues to bloom in one of
the Cookham’s gardens today, and not many things have
changed over the years since his painting of the gardens
in The Pound.
It is perhaps apt that the Gallery in Cookham devoted
to Spencer’s life and work is located in a building in
Cookham that was at the centre of his devotion, the
Methodist Chapel. Visit www.stanleyspencer.org.uk
Arts&Spencer
>>Exhibition
Sir Stanley Spencer: View from Cookham Bridge