The Spencer Family

I first got to know John Spencer, when I co-curated the Heaven in a Hell of War exhibition at Somerset House and then Pallant House in 2013-14. His mother Unity was already frail, and when I met her she was sat in a chair wistfully surveying the proceedings. Her first words to me were choice declarations on the behaviour of men. Both Unity and her elder sister, Shirin, were scarred by their father’s legacy, and in particular by his divorce from their mother, Hilda Carline, and doomed second marriage to Patricia Preece. John unstintingly cared for his mother and aunt in their final years, moving from the family home in Clapham to a peaceful Welsh village. He described these times as joyful and as a privilege, and through this incredible strength (which anyone who has cared for anyone must recognise) helped to reconcile these women with their past and find joy in the extraordinary genius of their father.

They were - and are - regular visitors to the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, and John continues to be a huge support to us. I remember once Unity visiting, bringing with her the carmine necklace worn by her mother, Hilda Carline, in her Self-Portrait (Tate, 1923), along with the extraordinary brown velvet suit worn by her mother on her wedding day. As an art historian it is all too easy to objectify the past, and this moment distilled the humanity of creativity and all the complexities that go with it.

Stanley Spencer's Legacy

It’s a privilege to be able to continue Spencer’s legacy at the Gallery, where we hold two exhibitions a year, at the heart of which is always Spencer’s work, but which often explore wider historical and cultural subjects, and also his influence on other artists, both historical and contemporary. The Gallery is located in the heart of Cookham, his home village, in the Methodist Chapel in which he worshipped as a child. Cookham was profoundly important to Spencer’s emotional and spiritual wellbeing and as such figured prominently in many of his visionary paintings. I think his work is often best understood in the context of the trinity of Cookham, religion and sex – concepts which were for him often co-dependent.

That Marvellous Atmosphere: Stanley Spencer and Cookham Regatta

Our current exhibition, That Marvellous Atmosphere: Stanley Spencer and Cookham Regatta explores the meaning behind this enormous and ambitious painting, on which he worked until the end of his life in 1959. It was typical for Spencer to turn his childhood memories of the golden, Edwardian, age of Cookham Regatta into an event of great spiritual significance. He wrote that ‘everything to do with love is meant in this Regatta scene. In that marvellous atmosphere nothing can go wrong.’ At the centre of the composition, Christ sits in a rattan chair, somewhat fiercely addressing the children sitting ‘like little frogs’. Behind him the disciples seem unfazed and according to aural legend, this was because ‘they had heard it all before.’

None of the exhibitions, nor the day-to-day running of the Gallery would be possible without our team of volunteers. They are passionate about the art they care for, the artist who created it and the environment that inspired him throughout his life. Through their freely-given talents and professionalism the Gallery remains creative, independent and self-funded over sixty years after its foundation. It is a fitting living memorial to one of the greatest British artists.

Exhibition Details

That Marvellous Atmosphere: Stanley Spencer and Cookham Regatta
Thursday 3 April - Sunday 2 November 2025

Opening times:
Every day: 10.30am-4.30pm (last entry 4pm)
Stanley Spencer Gallery, 16 High Street, Cookham, Berkshire SL6 9SJ

Admission:
Adults: £7
Age 18 to 25 years: £3.50
Under 18: Free

Learn more: stanleyspencer.org.uk

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Auction Details

Thursday 10 July, 10,30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING IN LONDON (HIGHLIGHTS)
Friday 27 June: 10am-4pm
Monday 30 June: 10am-4pm
Tuesday 1 July: 10am-4pm

VIEWING IN NEWBURY (FULL SALE)
Sunday 6 July: 10am-3pm
Monday 7 July: 10am-4pm
Tuesday 8 July: 10am-4pm
Wednesday 9 July: 10am-4pm

FURTHER INFORMATION: 
General enquiries: + 44 (0) 1635 553 553 | pictures@dreweatts.com
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