House and Garden

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

Born in Cookham-on-Thames in 1892, Gilbert Spencer was the youngest of twelve children. He first attended the Ruskin School, Oxford, and then studied woodcarving at Camberwell School of Art, London, from 1910–11. In 1913 he attended the Slade School of Art, London, where he was awarded a life drawing prize in 1914. During the First World War he served in the Army in postings in Salonika and Egypt from 1915–18. After the War Spencer’s painting was increasingly well received and he had a second exhibition at the Goupil Gallery (1932). From 1934–36 he painted a series of murals for Balliol College, Oxford, and later served as an Official War Artist (1940–43). He became Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art (1933–48); Head of Painting at Glasgow School of Art (1948–50); and Head of Painting at Camberwell School of Art (1950–57). He is remembered for his paintings of English rural life, and especially for his depiction of farm crafts and activities, for instance, A Cotswold Farm (1930–31) and The Progress of Husbandry (circa 1964), paintings that were both acquired by the Tate Collection.

Places

Subjects

water butt, garden, house, drainpipe, tiled roof, chimney

Materials & Techniques

paper (as artists material), watercolour (as artists materials), pencil, watercolour (as object name)

Artist

Gilbert Spencer (1892 - 1979)

Title

House and Garden

Date

Medium

Watercolour and pencil on paper

Dimensions

height: 45.50 cm, width: 34.70 cm

Acquisition

Presented by the Hon. Mrs Wood, August 1949

Inscription

br: Gilbert Spencer

Provenance

Purchased from Agnew 1949 by the Hon. Mrs Wood and presented to the Ministry of Works for the Ambassador's Residence, Washington, where her uncle Lord Bryce was HM Ambassador 1907-13.

GAC number

900