SPENCER (Gilbert, 1892-1979, Artist, brother of Sir Stanley)

Superb illustrated ALS to Vera LANE POOLE (1890-1965, Vera Ellen Dendy, Painter, Wife of Austin Lane Poole, 1889-1963, Historian, from 1913 Tutor, then Fellow at St John's College, Oxford, President, 1947-1957) telling her that his “attention has been drawn to a notice in the Times about the Ruskin School & I hasten to tell you that since seeing you I have accepted the headship of the dept of drawing & Painting at the Glasgow School of Art. I feel that down south is ‘enemy occupied country’ where I am concerned & my appointment to Glasgow was unanimous. Which is at least a nice feeling to have altho as yet I have to earn their confidence. There are many things about the post that attracts me, the salary is a four figure one, I am able to give a fair amount of time to my own work, there are 22 weeks holiday a year & the summer vacation is from June 10 till Sep 27. Glasgow is a city of character & interest & I think for a time it might be good for my pointing if I don’t have the country quite so much at my beck & call - absence makes the heart grow fonder and I hope the eyes see better. We have been here for a month, this country has a kind of... fascination for me because Munnings is alleged to have declared that no artist ever succeeded in the North. I fear I think there is some point in what he said. We have not made up our minds as to what we shall do about the cottage, if we do sell it it will only be if we have got some.... alternative a bit further out from London but round about the same district. We walked to Brantwood this afternoon. I am quite sure Ruskin was a great man but I can’t stand him & his house...” here he has drawn a picture of Ruskin’s house with its many parts and continues “This is an exaggeration but I believe the only part standing when he took it over that marked X is nice simple house...” he ends signing back on the front page with a note “It was very good of you to interest yourself in my ‘case’”, 3 sides 8vo., c’o Mrs Herdman, Hoathwaite Farm, Conniston, 9th September

Spencer was a painter of landscapes, portraits, figure compositions and mural decorations. He worked in oils and watercolour. He was the younger brother of the painter Stanley Spencer.

Item Date:  1948

Stock No:  42148      £575

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