SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. | Portrait of a Young Woman

Although not signed by the artist, and presumably not given by him to the sitter, this fine pencil drawing reflects the mature style of Spencer.Spencer drew many ‘heads’, or portrait drawings, whether in response to formal commissions, informal requests, or for the sheer interest and pleasure of doing so. Many of these latter drawings were presented as gifts to the sitter.He would start a drawing with the eyes, so as to place the head correctly on the page. In this instance, he has also placed a separate study of an eye near the lower edge of the paper. The drawing displays a mastery of line, contrasted with soft shading, a style Spencer had learned at the Slade, where he was a prize-winning student taught by the formidable Henry Tonks.

Private Collection, U.S.A.

The sheet is attached to the mount with an adhesive tab in each upper corner and there are remnants of previous adhesive tabs along the upper edge. The upper horizontal edge is deckled. There are Artist's pinholes to the upper and lower corners and along the extreme left vertical edge, none of which are visible in the present mount. There is a very minor tear towards the lower third of the left vertical edge, also not visible in the present mount. Some very minor undulation is visible towards the upper vertical edge, and some further minor and historic creasing to the lower left and right vertical edges. There are faint handling marks to the extreme edges, including a finger print towards the lower right corner, and some discolouration in keeping with age towards the edges, which is not visible in the present mount. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. The work is window mounted and held behind glass in a stained wooden frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
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We are grateful to Carolyn Leder for her kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.