On July 19, members of The Arts Society Wokingham heard an excellent lecture on Stanley Spencer – that eccentric genius and outstanding 20th century artist.
Val Woodgate is an accomplished and highly acclaimed lecturer, and she tackled this complex subject with enthusiasm and humour.
She gave her audience a fascinating insight into the background and meaning of Spencer’s difficult religious paintings. Many of them are autobiographical, so to understand the paintings you need to understand his life.
Born in Cookham in 1891, he was a devout Christian. He won a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art in 1908, and claimed to be influenced by JS Bach, Giotto and Jesus.
His personal heaven was Cookham, and he used this as a backdrop for many of his religious paintings such as the Last Supper set in a local malt house.
Sandham Memorial Chapel contains a series of vast canvases based on his military experiences during the First World War in various locations including Macedonia. The altar piece, inspired by Giotto and entitled The Resurrection of the Soldiers, seems cluttered and incomprehensible at first glance, but Val meticulously explained its detailed symbolism.
Val did not shy away from Spencer’s complex relationship with his two wives; having married Hilda Carline in 1925 he then became obsessed with Patricia Preece. He divorced Hilda and married Patricia but she was cruel and manipulative leaving him bankrupt in 1940.
Although Spencer may not be everyone’s favourite artist, this lecture helped us interpret his art against the background of his beliefs and life experiences.
Non-members are welcome to our meetings and should register by emailing [email protected] in advance. There is a guest fee of £5.
For more, www.theArtsSocietyWokingham.org.uk
Sue Bryant
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