Stanley Spencer was a painter who became famous from his paintings depicting biblical scenes in his hometown Cookham. Spencer was skilled at compositions with multiple figures, and as he grew older his painting compositions became tighter, more compressed and his colours less vivid, but he attained his focus on detail. At the time Spencer was creating his work he was a controversial artist, criticised for painting caricatures of holy figures. Now though his work is seen as experimental.
Spencer’s first self-portrait in oils alludes to the painting style of the Old Masters in its chiaroscuro and rich colour palette. It was inspired by a reproduction of Christ’s head by Renaissance artist Luini.
His final self-portrait is among his last paintings. He painted it with a mirror while he was staying with friends 5 months before he died. He was incredibly ill at the time and this is reflected in the intensity in the composition and how he stares out of the picture plane.
I think looking at Spencer’s first and last portraits is valuable to see both the change in his appearance and in how he painted. The earlier one is softer, smoother, and the one in which Spencer had aged the brushwork and application of colour looks harsher and less forgiving. How paint is applied is influential on the overall feeling of the finished painting, it is evident in how Spencer applied the paint that he was older and struggling with his health.
Sorcha Harm 