Biography

Painter of portraits, landscapes and imaginative, visionary, quirky works with a Biblical flavour set in his native Cookham, Berkshire. Studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, 1908-12, where he was awarded a Scholarship in 1910 and won the Summer Composition Prize two years later. During service in the Army in World War I was commissioned to paint a picture for the Imperial War Museum. He was to serve as an Official War Artist during World War II, painting shipbuilding work at Port Glasgow, Scotland. After the war Spencer travelled on occasion in Europe, although his work remained essentially his own, in the English-eccentric tradition.

Elected RA, 1950, and knighted 1959. His work is held in many international collections, including Tate Gallery, London. A Stanley Spencer Gallery was opened in Cookham, three years after he died at Taplow, Buckinghamshire.