The patriot

In this meticulously rendered watercolour Spencelayh touches on the subjects of war and patriotism, topics that he continued to return to throughout both the First and Second World Wars. Renowned for the detailing of his interior scenes, many of which he would re-create in his studio in order to assist with his composition, Spencelayh has added flashes of vibrancy to the dimly lit interior as the old man unfurls his union flag in preparation for display. With a copy of Robert Gibb's The Thin Red Line hanging on the wall above an ancient pistol Spencelayh hints at British victories of the past, and by drawing the eye to the huge flag unfolding across the wooden floor he underlines a sense of hope that in 1917 the tide had begun to turn in the favour of the British forces, especially with the arrival of the first US troops in France in June that year.