Lot 107

SIR STANLEY SPENCER R.A. (BRITISH 1891-1959) §
WASHING DAY, STUDY FOR LEEDS DECORATION, c.1920





Auction: The Gillian Raffles Collection Day - Lots 74 to 123 - Friday 02 May at 10:00
£2,772
Description
pencil and wash on squared up paper
Dimensions
51cm x 35.5cm (20in x 14in)
Provenance
The Collection of Gillian Raffles.
Footnote
In 1920, the eminent collector Sir Michael Sadler tried to persuade the city authorities in Leeds to commission a series of large scale works to decorate the Town Hall. Sadler chose six artists, including Spencer, to produce rough sketches. Spencer visited Leeds and was inspired by the theme of washing day in the city's slums, which resonated with his general interest in finding the extraordinary and the spiritual in the everyday. However, the commission was never carried out as Sadler's project failed to find traction.




