Idea for Kit Inspection, 1930 (recto)

Early in 1915 Spencer volunteered for service abroad, and was transferred to W Company, Royal Army Medical Corps, Tweseldown Camp, near Farnham for basic training. The present drawing is an idea for the oil of this title at the Sandham Memorial Chapel, Burghclere. In the work, which is the only scene at Burghclere devoted to the camp, soldiers lay out their kit for inspection. In 1928, Spencer told his brother-in-law, Richard Carline he was omitting the scene from the chapel because the shapes were too rigid and the scale of the figures were incompatible with the pictures on either side. However, in 1930, he revised the composition, softening the shapes of the blankets, and placing an over-large soldier further back in the composition. (see K. Bell, op. cit., p.422).