Spotlight: Stanley Spencer

Nice small exhibition/display at Tate Britain of work by Stanley Spencer.

I’m always happy to see a bit of Stanley and there were works in this display I don’t recall seeing before. I don’t remember this lovely picture of people on the bridge at Cookham from 1920. Evidently one the dog is painted from life all the rest is made up. “Dinner on the Hotel Lawn” was also new to me, a wonderful mix of guests and maids with a swathe of tablecloth like a sail.

However I’m not sure what the show’s purpose was other than a brief introduction to Spencer in which case it was odd to use obscure pictures. How about doing a more focused view of an aspect of his work instead or telling people who are new to his work a bit more about him.

Closed 3 January 2022

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