Stanley Spencer (1891–1959) was one of the most idiosyncratic and visionary British painters of the 20th century, renowned for his deeply personal fusion of biblical imagery and everyday life. Born in the Berkshire village of Cookham, which would remain a central motif throughout his career, Spencer studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London alongside contemporaries such as Dora Carrington and Paul Nash. Despite early recognition, his style remained highly individual, often out of step with prevailing artistic trends.
Spencer’s paintings are characterised by a distinctive blend of spiritual symbolism, intimate portraiture and meticulous detail. He often reimagined biblical narratives unfolding in the familiar setting of Cookham, elevating the domestic and the ordinary to the sacred. Works such as The Resurrection, Cookham (1924–27) and the Sandham Memorial Chapel murals demonstrate his ability to combine visionary content with a distinctly English realism.
His service as a medical orderly and soldier during the First World War left a profound mark, inspiring some of his most powerful compositions. In the interwar years, Spencer gained widespread acclaim, although his later career was marked by critical ambivalence and personal turmoil.
A complex figure, Spencer explored themes of desire, mortality, faith and redemption with startling candour. His work is held in numerous public collections, including Tate, the Imperial War Museum and the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, which is dedicated to his life and art.
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta: Conversation Between Punts
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Hilda and I at Burghclere
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Crucifixion
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Garage
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Wisteria at Englefield
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Hilda with Bluebells
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Wisteria at Englefield
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Bridle Path, Cookham
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Landscape, Gloucestershire
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Amaryllis
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Portrait of Kate Morrell
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Self-portrait
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Last Supper
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Taking off Collar
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Saint Peter Escaping from Prison
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Boys' Garden
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Study for the Last Supper
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Greenhouse Interior
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Self-portrait
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Cottage, St Ives
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Hilda with Hair Down
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1881-1959)
Avalanche, Switzerland
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Marrow Bed
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Study for 'Unveiling Cookham War Memorial'
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Study for Swan Upping at Cookham
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Fernlea, Cookham
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Ministers, Ming Tombs, Peking
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Hilda Studying a Model for Burghclere
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Quarry Woods, Cookham
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Study for Unveiling of the Cookham War Memorial
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Beatitudes VI (Consciousness)
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Design for a Mural
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Fragments of a Self-Portrait
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Stanley at an auction
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Study for Zacharias and Elizabeth
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Fragments of a Self-Portrait
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Portrait of David Birch
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Portrait of H.E. Brooks
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Figure in Wilderness
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
The artist's left hand
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Collecting the Post
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
The Month of June: Gathering Flowers at Cookham
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Annunciation/Visitation, study for a stained-glass window
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Group of African Sculptures
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Malcolm MacDonald
SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. (1891-1959)
Peking Girl
Stanley Spencer (1891-1959)
Retrieving the Ball
Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A. (1891-1959)
Studies for Domestic Scenes