Stanley Spencer: Heaven in a Hell of War

-Pallant House Gallery (2013)-. First edition first impression 2013. 111 pages. Illustrated in colour and some black and white. Paperback. Spine uncreased. Near fine. Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) stands as one of the most important English painters of the twentieth century. Best-known for his paintings which elevate ordinary village life to epic, sometimes Biblical grandeur, his most famous large-scale work is the cycle of paintings at Sandham Memorial Chapel in the village of Burghclere, Hampshire, England, now owned by the National Trust. Painted entirely from memory the canvas panels, which took six years to create, chronicle the everyday life faced by millions of soldiers during the First World War - from washing laundry to kit inspection and bed-making. As such, they offer a unique insight into the domestic and personal, rather than the combative and traumatic, experiences of the battlefield, and are considered by many to be the artist�s finest achievement. This new book, produced to accompany the temporary relocation of the canvases whilst the chapel itself undergoes restoration, includes six new essays by leading experts. The essays reveal the influences behind the paintings, from Spencer�s first-hand experiences of war, to Giotto�s Arena Chapel murals in Padua, as well as Spencer�s relationship with the family who commissioned the paintings and his contemporary Henry Lamb, and an essay giving insight into the psychological strategies Spencer used to turn his own experiences of war into these remarkable paintings. Beautifully illustrated throughout with some never-before published sketches by Spencer for the paintings and detailed explanations of each of the paintings in the cycle, this book is an essential companion to a unique war memorial created by one of Britain�s best-loved painters. We are specialists in Artists Monographs, Catalogues and Illustrated items. All items are as described and dispatched within 24 hours in a secure package. We are professional booksellers with 40 years experience, you may order with confidence. Other titles by this artist maybe in stock, please ask for our list or link. Stanley Spencer: Heaven in a Hell of War 9781869827137