Can You Tell Me More About The Painter, Stanley Spencer?

Stanley Spencer was an English painter who lived from 1891 to 1959. He was born and lived in Cookham-on-Thames in Berkshire. One of his pieces of work was to recreate the Christian story in a Cookham setting. He shows everyday life in great detail, but with some humour, and includes elaborate symbolism of religion. One of his more famous paintings is The Resurrection, Cookham, which he painted between 1924 and 1926 and which now hangs in the Tate Gallery in London.

He studied at the Slade School between 1910 and 1914 then served in World War I, like many of his generation. He was lucky enough to survive. His military services obviously had a great effect on him and it influenced his art afterwards. One of the best examples can be seen as mural paintings in the Memorial Chapel at Burghclere in Hampshire. The side walls of the chapel are decorated by a Spencer painting showing crowded and active scenes of military activity. The east wall shows the Resurrection, which was another favourite theme.