Sir Stanley Spencer R.A.

Henry Slesser (possibly)
J L Behrend
The Leicester Galleries, London, where acquired by Wilfrid A. Evill May 1962, by whom bequeathed to Honor Frost in 1963

London, The Leicester Galleries, Exhibition of Works in the J L Behrend Collection, May 1962, cat. no.35;
Brighton, Brighton Art Gallery, The Wilfrid Evill Memorial Exhibition, June - August 1965, cat. no.240.

 

Keith Bell, Stanley Spencer: A Complete Catalogue of Paintings, Phaidon, London, 1992, cat. no.65 (as Bourne End, Haystacks) (probably).

The colours are much fresher, richer and less yellow than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel is sound. There are two or three indentations to the paint surface, including a line along the top edge where the frame has rubbed against the wet paint. There are also a number of tiny circle in isolated places across the surface, which appear to correspond to bubble in the wet paint. There is a small media mark in the upper left corner. The surface has recently been cleaned and generally the work is in good original condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a gilt plaster frame with a canvas inset. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Although we have been unable to identify the present work with complete certainty in Keith Bell's Complete Catalogue of Paintings, there does seem good reason to consider the identification with Bourne End, Haystacks (1920, cat. no.65), an untraced oil of an apparently similar subject. However, although much information is lacking, Bell gives the initial provenance as having been gifted by Spencer to Sir Henry Slesser. As the Slessers and the Behrends were acquaintances, it is conceivable the work passed from Henry Slesser to J L Behrend, and was thence purchased by Evill in Behrend's sale at the Leicester Galleries in 1962. Consequently, this raises the possibility that this small painting could well have been owned by three of the most important collectors of Spencer's work.