The Rivers Thames runs like a silver thread through the life of artist Stanley Spencer.
This summer’s exhibition at the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham celebrates ‘That Marvellous Atmosphere’ he loved growing up in this pretty riverside village, focusing on his great and unfinished work ‘Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta’.
Several of the hundreds of drawings of intimate scenes that Spencer later worked up into detailed parts of the larger painting are on show. There’s even a sketch on a sheet of toilet paper!
During Spencer’s childhood Cookham Regatta was a notable highlight of the village year.
In the late Victorian and Edwardian eras thousands of people flocked from London to the River Thames in Cookham. They were eager to enjoy the wonderful new experience of boating on the river, popularised by the novel ‘Three Men in a Boat’ by Jerome K Jerome.
Punts, skiffs, and rowing boats were hired by day-trippers; riverside inns catered for glamorously-dressed women who feature in Spencer’s paintings. Stanley was fascinated by the excitement of people having fun.
In the last ten years of his life Spencer worked on ‘Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta’ whenever he had spare time. His creative mind was overflowing with memories that he wanted to include in his last masterpiece.
Visit the Stanley Spencer Gallery, which is right on the Thames Path National Trail. This marvellous exhibition is on to 2 November. https://stanleyspencer.org.uk/
Download the Cookham walks from Go Jauntly app. https://walks.gojauntly.com/walking/gb/england/berkshire/windsor-and-maidenhead
This year’s Cookham Fun Regatta, hosted by local Rotary groups, is on Saturday 6 September https://www.cookhamregatta.org.uk/
