The Deposition and Rolling Away of the Stone, 1856 York Art Gallery, York Museums Trust. Pic © the estate of Stanley Spencer 2008. All rights reserved DACS
Exhibition preview: Stanley Spencer - 50 Years On, York Art Gallery, York, January 24 - April 19 2009
Stanley Spencer was a devotee of the subnormal. To some of his critics, the painter who turned up to his knighthood ceremony clutching a carrier bag and who wore pyjamas under his clothes was a tiresome bore. For others he added nothing to the pre-eminence of contemporaries including Henry Moore and Matisse, and he was famously dubbed “the divine fool of British art”.
It would be wrong to allow his works, which were as colourful as they were ultimately influential, to be preceded by his reputation, but his eccentricities mark Spencer out as one of the most singular artists of the 20th century.
Self-Portrait 1914, Tate, London 2008. Bequeathed by Sir Edward Marsh through the Contemporary Art Society 1953. Pic © the estate of Stanley Spencer 2008. All rights reserved DACS
A special BBC programme looking at Spencer’s life following a major retrospective at the Tate in 2001 concluded that his work “was divided into two distinct categories – comical versions of events and intense realism.”
Spencer would juxtapose conflicting visions of the holy and obscene, so biblical scenes would be introduced to portraits of his beloved home village of Cookham, while nudes of his wives (he married lesbian artist Patricia Preece a week after ending his 12-year first marriage, only to find frustration in the platonic state the relationship maintained) contrast rural depictions.
Stanley Spencer, Rickett's Farm, Cookham Dene 1938, Tate, London 2008. Pic © the estate of Stanley Spencer 2008. All rights reserved DACS
He served in World War I and was commissioned as a war painter in World War II, reportedly sketching on toilet paper in a series of shipyard pictures, which the Imperial War Museum led a high-profile bid to restore two years ago, led by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Such campaigns illustrate how his popularity has improved with time – the BBC’s findings included a police prosecution against Spencer for alleged obscenity in 1950, initiated by outgoing Royal Academy president Sir Alfred Munnings.
St Francis and the Birds, 1935, Tate, London 2008. Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1967. Pic © the estate of Stanley Spencer 2008
Spiritual to the end, Spencer regaled friends at his deathbed with visions of visiting angels and, in typically boisterous fashion, called his death “the most exciting experience of my life.”
“Spencer is one of the most respected British artists of his generation,” says Laura Turner, Curator of Art at York Art Gallery, which opens a show of his pieces on Saturday (January 24 2009). “His work is immediate - sometimes appealing, sometimes shocking - but often offering those who take a closer look glimpses of his personal life and beliefs.”
23 works from the Tate and one from York’s own collection feature, including the creepily sinister Woman Feeding a Calf and a self-portrait from 1914 which resembles an Old Master painting.
“We are delighted to be selected as one of the few venues for this display from the Tate’s extensive holdings,” adds Turner. “We believe it will offer visitors to the gallery an invaluable look at the work of this remarkable artist.”
Keep up to date with 24 Hour Museum's exhibition news, reviews and previews with iGoogle - a more personal way to use Google.com
