Stanley Spencer (British, 1891–1959) - Sketch of Hammer / Portrait of Female Welder, Ca. 1938 (Graphite on Paper)

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Stanley Spencer (British, 1891–1959)
Sketch of Hammer / Portrait of Female Welder, ca. 1938
Graphite on paper
Frame: 16.9 × … Read more Stanley Spencer (British, 1891–1959)
Sketch of Hammer / Portrait of Female Welder, ca. 1938
Graphite on paper
Frame: 16.9 × 20.9 in. (Opening: 13.75 × 8.75 in.)

This double sided graphite drawing features two related studies executed during Spencer’s Shipbuilding on the Clyde series. The recto presents a detailed close up study of a hammer with a warehouse in the background, while the verso depicts a female welder, titled in the lower left corner “No. 1 Welder Girl (Moire)”. The figure corresponds to one included in the completed Clyde painting. The sheet bears the Christie’s Stanley Spencer Studio Sale stamp at the lower right and is numbered “119” in pen. The drawing comes directly from Stanley Spencer’s personal sketchbook. Last two pictures are of the sketchbook itself (the actual sketchbook is not included). Both sides are fully matted and viewable within the frame: the front is glazed with glass, and the verso is protected by a sheet of plexiglass. Newly framed in blond wood with archival matting and glazing. In good condition, with minor wear consistent with age.

Provenance:
Christie’s, London, The Stanley Spencer Studio Sale, 5 November 1998.

Artist Biography:
Sir Stanley Spencer RA (1891–1959) was a major figure in 20th-century British art, renowned for his meticulous figurative paintings that fused the sacred and the everyday. Educated at the Slade School of Fine Art, Spencer centered his artistic vision on his native village of Cookham, Berkshire, which he frequently depicted as a site of spiritual and social renewal. His work is represented in major public collections, including Tate Britain, the National Gallery (London), the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge), and the Stanley Spencer Gallery (Cookham). See less