SIR STANLEY SPENCER, R.A. | Daphne and Me at 40 New End Square

William Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor and thence by descent to the previous owner
Anthony D'Offay Gallery, London, where acquired by Mrs. J. P. Greenbury, May 1979 and thence by descent to the present owner

London, Thomas Gibson Fine Art, Stanley Spencer Scrapbook Drawings, 1974 (details untraced).

Colin Hayes, Scrapbook Drawings of Stanley Spencer, Vol.2, Lion and Unicorn Press, London, 1964, p.28;
Carolyn Leder, Stanley Spencer: The Astor Collection, Thomas Gibson Publishing Limited, London, 1976, p.24, cat. no.37, illustrated p.48.

The sheet has been laid down on to conservation tissue, which is taped to the mount at two points along the left edge. The edges of the sheet are uneven, with some losses and tears. Some of these have been restored at the lower and upper edges. The sheet undulates slightly towards the lower left edge. There are small holes at points along the left edge, consistent with the sheet having been removed from an artist's sketchbook. There is a small hole in the sheet to the female figure's torso. There is some discolouration to the paper visible when the work is viewed out of the mount, with scattered surface dirt and staining in areas across the composition. Subject to the above the work appears to be in good overall condition. The sheet is window mounted and held behind glass in a simple wooden frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any further questions regarding the present lot.
"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."

In June 1939, Stanley Spencer was invited to stay with the artists George and Daphne Charlton at 40 New End Square, their house in Hampstead. They all went on a painting holiday to Leonard Stanley, Gloucestershire in July, and remained there after the outbreak of the Second World War. George was a teacher of drawing and painting, and Daphne’s former tutor, at the Slade School of Fine Art. By October, George was spending several days a week in Oxford, to which the Slade had been evacuated, and Stanley and Daphne embarked upon an affair. An exuberant, larger than life character, Daphne was to be instrumental in helping to restore his spirits, which had been at a low ebb after his earlier divorce and failed second marriage.  

In Leonard Stanley, Spencer began his Scrapbook drawings, in a series of locally purchased children’s scrapbooks. As he was with Daphne at the time, she played an important role in the compositions. This drawing comes from volume 2 (page 28). The frequently autobiographical subjects of the scrapbooks - based on memory and invention - were intended as studies for pictures for his longed-for Church-House, a never to be built successor to his Sandham Memorial Chapel.

 

This drawing was made in Gloucestershire, but is set in the kitchen of the Charlton’s house in Hampstead. The face to the left of the mantelpiece is derived from a small plaque owned by the Charltons, which hung on the wall. The central figure of Daphne, by the ironing board, stands back to back with Stanley who examines a row of sketches on the kitchen table. Their activities are approved by a Holy Ghost figure behind. In this close-knit composition, Spencer focused particularly on concise, fluid outline, within which he dwelt on details of pattern and texture, as in their clothing and Daphne’s long hair.